ALITALIA

Italy's Alitalia has debuted new business and premium economy cabins with the delivery of its first new long-haul aircraft, an Airbus A330-200, and says it plans to reconfigure its Boeing 777 fleet with the same interiors.
Dubbed 'Magnifica', Alitalia's new business-class offering includes 28 leather full-flat seats with a massage function and individual 15.4in in-flight entertainment (IFE) monitors for audio/video on-demand IFE.
The 1-2-1 layout is designed for passengers "travelling individually or in pairs, on 'honeymoon' seats", says the airline.
Alitalia's new premium economy cabin, called 'Classica Plus', represents "a new class of travel on long-haul flights" for the carrier. It features 21 Recaro-designed seats, arranged in three rows, reclining up to 120 degrees "and 20% wider than the economy-class seats", says Alitalia, noting that each passenger gets an individual 10.6-inch IFE screen.
The renovation of classes also includes a new economy-class cabin, called 'Classica', which features 175 seats with 9in IFE screens.
All the seats in the three classes of travel have an individual telephone with an extendable keyboard.
The A330 is the first of two Alitalia A330s that will be introduced into service during the summer on the carrier's intercontinental routes departing from Milan Malpensa airport.
A reconfiguration program of the 777 fleet is also planned "which will lead a harmonization of the entire Alitalia intercontinental fleet", says Alitalia.
Also this week, two new Airbus A320s entered service for Alitalia. "With the addition of these two aircraft, the renewal of the Alitalia fleet continues: there are now 44 new generation Airbus A320 in the fleet which has now a total of 160 aircraft," says the carrier.
Additionally, Alitalia reveals that it has now completed its €20 million refurbishment programme for its 46 medium-haul Airbus aircraft. The entire Alitalia Airbus short- and medium-range aircraft are now equipped with slim leather seats and individual screens.

Superjet International this week kicked off a three-contender regional jet contest at Rome Fiumicino airport for Alitalia, which is expected to choose within weeks between the Sukhoi Superjet 100, Bombardier CRJ900/1000 and Embraer 190.
Superjet's aircraft, technical support and training presentation included a 1h flight test with two Alitalia pilots on board as observers. Along with Alitalia's evaluation team, Vito Riggio, president of Italian civil aviation authority ENAC, was on hand for the presentation.
Sources in Italy suggest that the Superjet is expected to outperform its rivals on short- to medium-length high-traffic, high-value routes such as between Milan Linate and Rome, while offering Airbus A320 comfort levels.
The Italian airline is looking to replace its fleet of 10 Bombardier CRJ900s and six Embraer 170s and is receiving bids from the Canadian and Brazilian airframers.
Superjet's offer for 20 aircraft and an undisclosed number of options is based on an operating lease package, already agreed with an international leasing company.
At the Farnborough air show in July, newly formed Bermuda-based lessor Pearl Aircraft signed a tentative agreement to acquire 30 Superjets, with options on another 15, and described Alitalia as "maybe" a target client.
In September, US-based engine lessor Willis Lease Finance in September agreed firm contracts for six Superjets with four options, noting that the aircraft appears to be capable of offering 10% better operating efficiency over competing models.
According to ENAC, the four aircraft involved in the Superjet 100 certification programme have logged around 840 sorties and more than 2,070 flying hours, with Russian certification expected by the end of November.

Alitalia is busy with evaluations of single aisle planes for its fleet; competing for the order are CRJ, SuperJet and E-Jet. This competition is for planes with <100 seats. Embraer is confident they will win. But here's the problem – remember this? What happened after this announcement? It suddenly went quiet and now we hear there's this competition. Did SuperJet win and face a challenge? Is the current competition and evaluation a smokescreen to retroactively justify the 20 plane order?
Clearly the Italians should want to "local" supplier to win. It certainly seemed that they did when we last heard. Why is there a competition under way at all? Then again, this is Italy and Alitalia. Recall at one time Aeroflot wanted to take a stake in Alitalia. Perhaps Russian interest in Alitalia continues? This competition is truly odd.

Alitalia has opted to buy Embraer regional jets in the competition to modernize and consolidate the airline’s RJ fleet, industry officials say.

The airline’s board of directors has authorized management to sign a preliminary agreement covering the lease of a combination of 14 Embraer 170 and 190 regional jets.

Alitalia already operates six 170s, which first entered the fleet in 2004 and appears to have bolstered the aircraft maker’s position in competition over Bombardier and Sukhoi since the airline has a medium-term target to grow its fleet to 20 aircraft. Later expansion to 27 units is possible.

The ten Bombardier CRJ900s also currently in service at the carrier are to be gradually retired as the new E-Jets arrive.

According to industrial sources, the airline’s management rated the Embraer proposal as the best one, with the Sukhoi Superjet 100 coming second. The Russian bid came with aggressive financial terms to secure Alitalia as the first big-name European costumer. But management shied away in part because the Superjet 100 remains to be certified; Embraer also benefitted from the positive experience the airline has had with the 170s now in service. Bombardier, offering the CRJ900NG/1000, came last.

Aitalia CEO Rocco Sabelli says the airline was leaning toward the Sukhoi Superjet 100, but that the repeated delays to the aircraft’s certification where an issue. “We delayed our choice by 6-12 months waiting for the Superjet and we considered the involvement in the program of an Italian company [Alenia Aeronauita] but we were still not sure about the European certification date and we were also concerned about the prospect of being, in effect, the western launch customer for the type,” he says.

The Embraer choice also provides commonality between Alitalia and SkyTeam partner and major Alitalia shareholder Air France.

Air France Industries will provide maintenance of the regional jet.

Italian flag-carrier Alitalia has tentatively agreed to merge with fellow Italian operators Blue Panorama and Wind Jet.

Alitalia has signed memoranda of understanding with both carriers and started processes "aimed at achieving integration" with them, it said.

Rome-based Blue Panorama, set up in 1998, specialises in scheduled and charter services on local and long-haul routes.

The carrier has several Boeing jets - including 767s, 757s and 737s - but is also notably a customer for the Russian-built Sukhoi Superjet. It has a short-haul division branded Blu-Express.

Wind Jet is an Airbus A320-family low-cost operator which began services in 2003, with a strategy intended to connect Sicily to various points in Europe. It has a fleet of a dozen aircraft, and bases in Palermo, Catania and Rimini.

Alitalia said the planned integration of Blue Panorama and Wind Jet is "consistent with the process of continuing consolidation" in the air transport sector, both domestically and internationally.

It said the carriers have "synergistic and complementary profiles" regarding their network and fleet, which could be exploited in a tie-up.

Alitalia said it transported 25 million passengers last year while Blue Panorama carried two million and Wind Jet had 2.8 million

The new "Magnifica" (28 seats)

• New leather seats, "full flat" which extend into a fully flat bed position, with a massage function and anindividual 15.4-inch screen with an individual "privacy" device which allows only the passenger occupying the seat to view.
• Provision of 1-2-1 seats designed for those travelling individually or in pairs, on "honeymoon" seats.
• 12 audio channels and over 40 films available in up to 8 different languages and the possibility to download multimedia contents with a USB device.
• Wide selection of documentaries, sitcoms, video games. Cartoons and TV series for younger passengers.
• Ability to change the cabin lighting system with varying intensity and colour of lights depending on the time period of the journey, designed to provide a relaxing environment and facilitate moments of rest.
• "Landscape camera" which allows for live viewing outside the aircraft.
• "Noise reduction" headsets to ensure optimal listening and guaranteeing audio sound isolation from background noise during cruise level.
• Night amenity kits, with duvets and 'Frette' pillows. Cutlery and glasses designed by Richard Ginori.
• "Culti" wellbeing amenity kits with exclusive products for personal care.
• Menus with specialities of regional traditional Italian cuisine, prepared with fresh products DOP and IGP prepared by internationally renowned Italian chefs and accompanied by wines chosen by the Association of Italian Sommeliers.

The new "Classica Plus" (21 seats)

• Dedicated cabin with 21 'Recaro designed' seats, arranged in three rows, reclining up to 120 degrees and 20% wider than the economy class seats.
• 96.5 cm of space between the seats, about 25% more than economy class.
• Removable foot rest, adjustable height and angle leather headrest.
• Individual 10.6-inch screens with an "on demand" entertainment system.
• "Noise Reduction" headsets.
• The seats are equipped with USB port for viewing your digital content or to charge the battery in your computer or electronic device.
• "Culti" wellbeing amenity kits with exclusive products for personal care.

Classica Plus passengers are offered priority check-in and boarding at the airport, double award miles compared to economy class passengers; welcome drink and hot towel on board before the main service and increased baggage allowance for North America.

"Classica", the new Alitalia economy class (175 seats)

• ergonomic reclining seats up to 110 degrees, with 9-inch screens and an individual "on demand" entertainment system.
• "Frette" designed blankets.
• One or more hot meals and sweet or savoury snacks depending on the destination.
• Hot and cold drinks as well as a selection of wines from the best Italian wine cellars.

All the seats in the three classes of travel have an individual telephone with an extendable keyboard.

Italian investors in CAI, a consortium that bought the then-bankrupt domestic airline in 2008, can exercise options to trade their shares after a lock-up period ended on Jan. 12.

"Italy has a great opportunity with Air France. It would be a shame to ruin it," Corrado Passera told il Messaggero.

Passera, who spearheaded the rescue of Alitalia when he headed Italian bank Intesa Sanpaolo five years ago, said, however, a marriage with the Franco-Dutch group can wait.

"Alitalia would have time to reorganise costs, wherever possible, and improve its commercial offer to increase revenues adequately," the minister told the Rome daily.

CAI, which paid just over 1 billion euros ($1.3 billion) to rescue the airline, has among its biggest shareholders Intesa Sanpaolo with 8.9 percent, road operator Atlantia with 8.9 percent and holding company IMMSI with 7 percent.

Air France, which owns a quarter of Alitalia, said on Jan. 7 there were no talks going on. IMMSI also denied there were any talks under way.

Any sale of shares before October requires the go-ahead of the Alitalia board.