Alitalia (AZA, Rome Fiumicino) pilots could be offered the possibility of flying for Etihad Airways (EY, Abu Dhabi International) should a proposed equity-acquisition deal go through. The Secretary General for the UILtrasporti union, Marco Veneziani, told Italy's ANSA newswire last week that talks between pilot unions and the airline concerning the possible transfer of pilots to Abu Dhabi International were still ongoing.
"There is a discussion about sending redundant pilots from Alitalia [to Etihad] on a voluntary basis," he said.
ANSA says as many as 122 pilots are among the 2'251 Alitalia employees which would be laid off under the terms of the plan. It is claimed Etihad intends to ground fourteen Alitalia A320s as part of its vision for the carrier.
However, Alitalia unions have rejected any talk of layoffs despite appeals from the airline's executive.
"There is a willingness to cooperate," Veneziani added, "but we want to see the plan and then try to reduce redundancies. We would not ever accept 2,251 redundancies."
Last week, CEO Gabriele Del Torchio called the cuts a "necessary condition for the airline to become efficient and competitive," and said unions knew an alliance was "the only chance" for Alitalia's longterm survival.
