Ryanair has reiterated its interest in buying defunct Italian carrier Alitalia but only if the company is restructured.
In an interview with Italian media company Ansa, Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary said the Irish airline would be interested in buying Alitalia if it was committed to making major changes. Mr O'Leary added that the company was not necessarily interested in buying airport slots.
In May, Ryanair said it planned to offer Alitalia a deal to take over the bankrupt Italian carrier’s short-haul business while also selling long-haul flights on its website.
At the time, chief commercial officer David O’Brien said Ryanair was planning to propose a transfer deal to the government-appointed commissioners charged with saving Alitalia.
Ryanair has a bigger share of the Italian market than its troubled rival. Its operations there flew 36 million passengers in the 12 months ended on March 31st.
