EasyJet pulls out of Alitalia consortium

EasyJet said on Monday that it has decided to withdraw from a consortium set up to consider bidding for bankrupt Alitalia.

"Following discussions with Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane and Delta Air Lines about forming a consortium to explore options for the future operations of Alitalia, EasyJet has taken the decision to withdraw from the process," the budget airline said in a statement.

EasyJet said it remains committed to Italy as a key market for the company.

"We continue to invest in the three bases in Milan, Naples, Venice, as we have done by basing additional aircraft in Venice and Naples last summer," it said.

The group currently carries 18.5 million passengers every year and employs 1400 pilots and crew, all on local contracts.

EasyJet confirmed last month that it was in discussions about forming a consortium with Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane and Delta Air Lines.

Alitalia - 49% of which was owned by Abu Dhabi airline Etihad - went into administration in May 2017 after its staff rejected plans to slash jobs and salaries.

At 1410 GMT, EasyJet shares were down 0.6% to 1,251.50p.