Ryanair Scraps Plan to Bid for Bankrupt Alitalia
This probably won't come as much of a surprise given the carrier's history and bizarre current situation, but per the Telegraph, Ryanair just shared that it no longer plans to bid on bankrupt Alitalia.
With continued financial support from the Italian government, Atiltalia's situation isn't nearly as dire as Air Berlin's — I flew Alitalia myself just a few days ago and it felt like business as usual at the carrier — but without other alternative bids confirmed, this latest Ryanair move will no doubt leave Alitalia's creditors a bit uneasy.
Officially, Ryanair executives blamed the airline's "rostering problem" for the change of plans, explaining that it intends to avoid adding distractions for managers. On the surface that seems logical, but it wouldn't be unreasonable to question Ryanair's original intentions here.
As for next steps for Alitalia, the airline and its creditors are anxiously awaiting acquisition proposals, of course. The deadline to present binding offers is now October 16, giving potential suitors a bit more time to consider — and then likely cancel — a plan to bid.