Scenes at Rome airport, travellers, few flights cancelled

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• published: 21 Jul 2015
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SHOTLIST 19 September 2008 1. Various interiors of departure terminal at Rome's Fiumicino airport 2. Mid shot passengers walking around the terminal 3. Woman waiting at terminal 4. Group of Alitalia workers talking 5. SOUNDBITE: (Italian) Antonio Di Vietri, President of AVIA, Italian flight attendants' association "Someone irresponsible said that Alitalia was to stop operating starting on Monday. They are playing with the lives of 20-thousand families, with the destiny of Alitalia. Someone is putting the brakes on because he wants to close down Alitalia." 6. Wide shot of people at Alitalia counter at airport 7. Computer screen showing departure flights - list for Friday September 19, 2008 8. Pan right - shows Alitalia flight to Milan Linate 11.00 local time cancelled 9. Cutaway screen - page down writing in Italian reading 'flight cancelled 10. SOUNDBITE: (Italian) Lucia, no last name given, Alitalia flight attendant: "We are leaving and landing, we are working regularly. It can happen that since there are frequent flights to Milan Linate, every 20 minutes approximately, and it isn't high season with lots of people moving for business between Rome and Milan and vice versa, it can happen that because flights are empty or half empty, they decide to group passengers on one flight only, and cancel one or two flights, it happens often." 11. Wide of interior airport arrivals hall FILE: September 12, 2008 12. Alitalia airplane taxiing STORY LINE: Stricken Italian airline Alitalia on Friday said services were expected to be guaranteed over the weekend - leaving the government to scramble for a solution as the airline edged closer to liquidation than ever. Italy's railway company said on Friday it had added two extra train rides between Rome and Milan - normally the most highly travelled air route in Italy - following increased demand, a sign that passengers may be fearing that the air route which is serviced by Alitalia, may not be available. There were cancellations to some Alitalia flights to Milan from Rome airport, but Alitalia flight attendant Lucia insisted that was normal. "We are leaving and landing, we are working regularly. It can happen that since there are frequent flights to Milan Linate, every 20 minutes approximately, and it isn't high season with lots of people moving for business between Rome and Milan and vice versa, it can happen that because flights are empty or half empty, they decide to group passengers on one flight only, and cancel one or two flights, it happens often," she said. Antonio Di Vietri, President of AVIA, the Italian flight attendants' association, said the livelihoods of 20-thousand families were at stake. "Someone irresponsible said that Alitalia was to stop operating starting on Monday. They are playing with the lives of 20-thousand families, with the destiny of Alitalia. Someone is putting the brakes on because he wants to close down Alitalia." Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi faced a tough challenge on Friday and a potential blow to his popularity over the Alitalia crisis, which is on the brink of collapse after a group of investors withdrew an offer to buy it. Berlusconi, who returned to power after winning April elections, had promised he would rescue Alitalia and keep it in Italian hands. Berlusconi opposed an earlier takeover bid by Air France-KLM, which had been negotiated under the previous centre-left government, on the grounds that foreign ownership of Italy's flasgship company would hurt the country's prestige and its tourism industry. The latest bid, from a group of Italian investors, was withdrawn on Thursday after unions refused to accept it. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/264560e52256e99d1eb57a9271f3e6f3 Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork