Alitalia absorbs Blue Panorama Airlines and WindJet

[peppo_8787]

AGI.it - ALITALIA MERGING WITH WIND JET AND BLUE PANORAMA (http://www.agi.it/english-version/business/elenco-notizie/201201251920-eco-ren1085-alitalia_merging_with_wind_jet_and_blue_panorama)

(AGI) Rome - The Alitalia airlines board of directors has begun to finalize its merger with Wind Jet and Blue Panorama airline companies. Founded in 2003, Wind Jet has 6.2% (in 2011) of the domestic market with hubs in Catania, Palermo and Rimini, a fleet of Airbus jets carrying more than 2.8 million passengers in 2011. Blue Panorama was founded in 1998 and is based in Rome's Fiumicino airport and Milan's Malpensa airport. It conducts international charter operations with Blue Panorama and short and medium operations with Blu-Express. In 2011 Blu Panorama carried about 2 million passengers in a fleet of 12 Boeing jets, of which six are wide body (second largest long-range fleet). A statement says the integration is ongoing with consolidation processes in air transport at international and national levels. Thanks to synergies made possible by integration, opportunities for Italian travelers and the capacity of the country to attract international tourists are multiplying. . .

[geriatrix]

Does anyone have any more details on this? Were Blue Panorama and Windjet in financial difficulties? Did Alitalia buy them, or were they just inserted into it?

[eu01]

Did Alitalia buy themIs "new" Alitalia already profitable, or otherwise where all the money come from?

[davidjohnson6]

Alitalia seem a fan of "buy all the competition and then the customers won't be able to choose to buy from your rivals at a lower price" school of thought

Alitalia + Air One + Windjet + Blue Panorama. Wonder when they'll take over Meridiana as well ?

I know the Berlusconi Govt wanted to keep Alitalia going a few years back, but doesn't anyone in Italy care about continual healthy competition for people wanting to fly to/from Italy any more, or is Rome / Brussels just relying on Easyjet, Ryanair and Lufthansa (via Air Dolomiti) ?

[BOAC]

Is "new" Alitalia already profitable - I very much doubt it - I suspect a 'deep pan Pizza with extra Berlusconi topping'.

[aeroplanejohn]

I think that now that Meridianafly have transatlantic seasonal routes from Italy to the USA you could perhaps ask ... when will Meridiana take over Alitalia?

[MKY661]

Will Wind Jet & Blue Panorama keep their seperate brands?

Also I thought Meridiana Fly had merged with Air Italy?

[peppo_8787]

I speak in first person because I will be "hit" by this union. Practically running the risk of monopoly on different domestic routes.. For example the airports of Palermo and Catania have only one alternative to fly from/to Italy. However, even the details of the union must be discovered .. Hopefully in the Antitrust.

[MKY661]

A bit late of a reply but the merger is now not happening