Alitalia's problems go back so far that it would be difficult to say when. As an airline, they were bankrupt years ago and have been clinically dead for years - but bodily functions have been maintained by huge government cash injections. Now the cash has been turned off the patient will finally die. Who's responsible? It has to be the senior people who run the company or the Italian government who wouldn't listen. There are to many well run airlines (well solvent ones anyway) within a two flight from their HQ that ignorance over what a modern airline should "look like" can not be an excuse.
The unions have done their jobs rather well in creating their current terms and conditions but the "management" have not done a very good job at selling 21st century working practices. Had this been done and the management been stronger, the current mess may have been avoidable.
The future? I'll guess that Air One will zip (or buzz), Vespa like into Rome, Milan and anthing else that will make a quick buck and LH will try and gobble up the Intercontinental bit using an expanded Air Dolomiti to their feed their MUC hub. But what do I know...
PM