Air France-KLM said the planned purchase of Alitalia would create a European champion and the airline would not abandon Milan’s airport hub.
Jean-Cyrill Spinetta, chairman of Air France, said the airline does not plan to abandon Milan and will keep a very dense network.
Politicians in northern Italy oppose the Franco-Dutch carrier’s plan to make Rome the nation’s main airport hub at the expense of Milan. Spinetta said he planned to change the flight schedule for Milan’s Malpensa airport, giving business clients better offers to reach major destinations in Europe.
The chairman of Air France-KLM said talks in Rome to discuss the Franco-Dutch carrier’s plans to buy Alitalia had been very useful.
The Italian government picked the Franco-Dutch carrier on December 28, 2007, to hold exclusive takeover talks for eight weeks, preferring it to a rival bid from smaller domestic airline Air One.