ROME, Nov. 22 (Xinhua) -- Italian state administrators on Friday pushed back the deadline for the sale of state flag carrier Alitalia, days after infrastructure group Atlantia said it would backtrack on its commitment to be part of a consortium set to rescue the troubled airline.
Bids had been due Thursday. Italian media reports said that either U.S.-based air carrier Delta or Germany's Lufthansa could fit into a consortium that included Atlantia and Italian state railway group Ferrovie dello Stato.
But those plans were scuttled after Atlantia said on Tuesday it was "not ready" to join the consortium.
Friday's delay represents at least the fourth time a deadline for bidding on Alitalia has been delayed, according to local media reports.
The development casts the future of the money-losing Italian airline in doubt.
Also on Friday, Italy's Federazione della Associazioni Professionali(FNTA), which is a collective of three labor unions representing Alitalia pilots and crew, put pressure on state administrators to find a solution for the company, threatening to go on strike on Dec. 13 if a solution is not found, according to a statement from the organization.
As Alitalia is spending the 900-million-euro (992-million-U.S. dollar) loan from the Italian government, the government is preparing a new 350-million-euro loan to keep the company afloat as it seeks a buyer. (1 euro = 1.10 U.S. dollars)
