Alitalia is now looking to a higher power for salvation.
Italy’s beleaguered air carrier is barely aloft financially, and a government-appointed administrator apparently grasped at help from Pope Benedict XVI as the pontiff headed to France on a state visit and to visit the holy waters of Lourdes — a shrine for those who seek cures for intractable illness.
The Italian news agency ANSA reported that bankruptcy commissioner Augusto Fantozzi spoke to the pope before he boarded his Alitalia flight for France — the pontiff uses Alitalia for his travels — and asked for a good word.
“Holiness, I ask for a special prayer,” Fantozzi said. Benedict’s response? “I’ve been praying for you for some time,” ANSA and other news services reported.
Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has promised to rescue the flagship carrier, but a deadline for investors and unions to come to an agreement passed Thursday. Alitalia’s money troubles are remarkable: The state-owned airline hasn’t made a profit since 1999 and is $1.2 billion in debt.
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