Air Italy stops flying

Air Italy, the country’s second largest carrier has stopped operating.

The airline appears to be closing because of mounting losses. Previously called Meridiana, it started operating in March 2018 and lasted a mere two years.

The decision to close the airline was made by the shareholders. The airline is 51% owned by Alisardi, owned by the Agha Khan, and 49% by Qatar Airways.

Qatar Airways posted a statement on Air Italy. It says that it has supported the plan to improve growth and job creation, with the addition of long-haul routes and numerous in-flight service improvements.

Despite our minority shareholder’s role, Qatar Airways has continuously provided all possible support to Air Italy right from the beginning, from releasing aircraft from our fleet and ordering new aircraft for Air Italy, to backing management choices and injecting capital and investment as required and permitted.

Qatar Airways says it was ready to support the growth of the airline, but itwould only have been possible with the commitment of all shareholders.

The statement seems like a distancing from blame and repeated that Qatar Airways is a minority shareholder.

Alitalia

Italian passengers can continue to rely on the Italian Government to continue to bail out the awful and eternally bankrupt state-run Alitalia.

About Air Italy

Routes

Air Italy was based in Sardinia and operated flights throughout Italy and to long-haul destinations including New York, Miami and Los Angeles. It also offered direct flights from Italy to locations in Africa, including Cairo and Lagos.

Fleet