- published: 24 Feb 2016
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Alitalia — Compagnia Aerea Italiana S.p.A. (English: Alitalia — Italian Air Company), operating as Alitalia, is the flag carrier and national airline of Italy, which took over the name, the landing rights, many planes and some other assets from the liquidation process of the old Alitalia — Linee Aeree Italiane and the entire Air One. The company has its head office in Fiumicino, Italy. Its main hub is Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport, Rome.
Alitalia is Italy's biggest airline, and the world's 19th. The name "Alitalia" is an Italian portmanteau of the words ali (wings), and Italia (Italy).
In 2008, a group of investors made the "Compagnia Aerea Italiana" (CAI) consortium aimed to buy the bankrupt Alitalia — Linee Aeree Italiane ("old" Alitalia) and to merge these with Air One, another Italian carrier.
On 30 October 2008 CAI offered €1,000 million to acquire parts of the bankrupt airline, amidst pilots' and flight crew members' opposition to labour agreements.
On 19 November 2008, CAI's offer was accepted by the bankruptcy administrator of Alitalia with the permission of the Italian government, at the time major shareholder of the bankrupting airline. Alitalia's profitable assets were transferred to CAI on 12 December 2008 after CAI paid €1.052 billion, consisting of €427 million in cash and the assumption of responsibility for €625 million in Alitalia debt.