I found this interesting,
Confessions of an air steward too shocking for ailing Alitalia - Europe, World - The Independent
Confessions of an air steward too shocking for ailing Alitalia
By Peter Popham in Rome
The Independent (UK national paper) Friday, 15 August 2008
"We are coming apart at the seams in every sense," the blogger wrote on 29 June.
Air France-KLM concluded long and painful negotiations to merge with the troubled airline at the cost of more than 2,000 jobs, but during the general election campaign in the spring, before the deal could go through, Silvio Berlusconi attacked it as "arrogant and unacceptable". The notoriously intransigent company unions took their cue to demand new terms and Air France pulled out. "What Alitalia needs is an exorcist," said Air France-KLM's boss Jean-Cyril Spinetta, confirming that he had slammed the door on the company
The company was kept afloat with government "loans" and Mr Berlusconi has since poured hundreds of million more Euros into the airline in the hope of survival.