Atlantia would be a natural partner for Alitalia - Salvini

Italian infrastructure group Atlantia would be a natural partner for struggling airline Alitalia, newspapers quoted Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini says. The government is trying to orchestrate a private-sector rescue of Alitalia, which is under administration, but interested investors have yet to stump up the required amount of capital to ensure the airline's longer-term future.

That has led to speculation that Atlantia, which runs Alitalia's main airport hub in Rome, could meet the shortfall. However, Atlantia is locked in a dispute with the government over a deadly 2018 bridge collapse on its toll-road network, and sources say the company would only consider joining the Alitalia rescue if Rome were to call a truce in their dispute.

"Atlantia is engaged in infrastructure. I think it's a natural partner," Salvini was quoted as saying on a late-night TV programme on Tuesday.