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| Alitalia airline cancels flights | Alitalia airline cancels flights |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Alitalia has cancelled a number of flights from Rome's Fiumicino airport, increasing fears that the carrier may soon go into liquidation. | Alitalia has cancelled a number of flights from Rome's Fiumicino airport, increasing fears that the carrier may soon go into liquidation. |
| The airline confirmed that a number of flights have been cancelled, but denied it had run out of aviation fuel. | The airline confirmed that a number of flights have been cancelled, but denied it had run out of aviation fuel. |
| On Thursday, a consortium withdrew a rescue offer for Alitalia due to opposition from trade unions. | On Thursday, a consortium withdrew a rescue offer for Alitalia due to opposition from trade unions. |
| Alitalia, which filed for bankruptcy protection last month, has warned it is low on cash to buy more fuel. | |
| Reports say between 20 and 30 Alitalia flights have been cancelled. | Reports say between 20 and 30 Alitalia flights have been cancelled. |
| Alitalia told the AFP news agency that the move was caused by "technical reasons". | Alitalia told the AFP news agency that the move was caused by "technical reasons". |
| 'No alternative' | 'No alternative' |
| The CAI consortium's takeover offer was backed by three of Alitalia's nine unions, but six opposed the plans, due to plans to cut 3,000 jobs. | The CAI consortium's takeover offer was backed by three of Alitalia's nine unions, but six opposed the plans, due to plans to cut 3,000 jobs. |
| The Italian government insists that the CAI deal is the only way for Alitalia to avoid liquidation. | The Italian government insists that the CAI deal is the only way for Alitalia to avoid liquidation. |
| "There is no alternative to CAI," said Labour Minister Maurizio Sacconi. | "There is no alternative to CAI," said Labour Minister Maurizio Sacconi. |
| "We need to return to the negotiating table because there is no-one else in the race." | "We need to return to the negotiating table because there is no-one else in the race." |
| There is little the government can now do, as state aid for airlines is illegal under European Union rules. | |
| There were also reports on Friday that Italy's civil aviation authority may ground all Alitalia planes within 10 days from Monday unless the airline can show a new rescue plan. | There were also reports on Friday that Italy's civil aviation authority may ground all Alitalia planes within 10 days from Monday unless the airline can show a new rescue plan. |
| Government stake | |
| Under the CAI rescue proposal, the Italian consortium had put forward a 1bn-euro offer for the airline. | |
| It wanted Alitalia to merge with Air One, the country's second-largest airline, while its 1.2bn-euro debt would be absorbed by a second firm, which would then be liquidated. | |
| Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has pledged to do all he can to save Alitalia, in which the Italian government holds a 49.9% stake. | |
| In April, plans for the airline to be taken over by France-KLM collapsed when unions refused the accept the terms of the deal. | |
| Alitalia suspended trading in its shares in June and is now being run by a special administrator following its move into bankruptcy protection last month. |