Alitalia Puts Out “For Sale” Sign, May Only Have 3 Days Left

It’s almost futile to post anything about Alitalia right now, as things seem to be changing by the nanosecond, but this morning I’ve noticed two stories in the news that are worth mentioning.

First, Alitalia has placed a “For Sale” ad in three Italian newspapers and one paper in London today. I find this incredible for two reasons. Primarily, it’s because this is Italy’s national flag carrier we’re talking about here, not some used sofa someone’s trying to get rid of on Craigslist. But even beyond that, do they really think there’s anyone in Italy – let alone the rest of Europe – who hasn’t already heard that the airline is up for grabs? They really needed to take out classified ads to spread the word? That’s really what they’re doing with what little money they currently have? Wow.

Second, if some miracle doesn’t occur within the next 3-4 days, Alitalia’s flying license will be suspended. As it is, they’re flying on a temporary license – but the head of Italy’s civil aviation authority says that “if a financial plan does not arrive within three or four days” even that license will be revoked.

Damn. I sure hope those “For Sale” ads work.

(And, once again, if you’re an Alitalia ticket-holder, get on the phone now and figure out what your rights are. You could be up the proverbial waste-infested creek without a rowing implement, but it’d be good to know that now as opposed to the moment when you’re supposed to be boarding your flight on a plane that isn’t there.)