'A piece of flying Italy around the world': The rise and fall of Alitalia {Alitalia to shut down}

CNN ^ | 29 August 2021 | Silvia Marchetti

[Cronos]

Italy's storied flag carrier has announced it will no longer issue tickets, triggering a countdown of just a few weeks until its familiar red and green livery vanishes from our skies for good.

The nationally owned airline is to be replaced in October by ITA, a smaller company with a different logo, but the service which once carried Italian pride, style and cuisine -- not to mention the Pope -- to all corners of the planet will be long gone. While the demise of Alitalia might bring a sense of loss for many Italians, it's unlikely to come as a surprise. The airline has spent the past few decades teetering on the brink of collapse as authorities scrambled to strike lifeline alliances with investors and other global carriers. "Each time it succeeded in being rescued, albeit with the only result of further prolonging its agony", says Giovanni Orsina, director of the School of Government at Rome-based LUISS University. Founded 74 years ago, Alitalia was once known by Italians as "freccia alata" -- aka the "winged arrow" in honor of speed -- will retire for good. Its aircraft's tails bore the popular logo of a capital 'A' shaped like the wing of an aircraft and colored like the Italian flag. Aside from its cuisine and car brands, it was perhaps one of Italy's most recognized symbols overseas.

[Skywise]

Huh… like Amtrak here… a government run business that shouldn’t have had any problem thriving dies on the vine.

[MercyFlush]

Government can’t run a business as well as private industry. Here’s yet another example.

[Don Corleone]

Maybe the Taliban will lend the Pope one of those helicopters so graciously left by Biden.

[G Larry]

I've flown a lot over the years and my worst experience was on an Alitalia flight in 1991 out of Dubrovnik, Yugoslavia.

On take-off we heard the worst gear grinding noise I've ever heard on an aircraft.

I suspected the APU, but could be mistaken.

We landed in Lubiana to connect with our flight to London and was never so glad to switch planes......

Or so I thought.

We went out to board our "new" flight only to discover it was the same aircraft.

As we boarded I asked the flight attendant whether they'd fixed that awful noise.

She replied: "Oh, its no problem, the sound goes away after we take off."....

[Red Badger]

It’s pasta Mañana ................

[moovova]

'A piece of flying Italy around the world'

[Trillian]

I flew on that quite a lot when I was a child. I still have the maps with the airplane reusable stickers and map.

[sorrisi]

I lived in Italy for 10 years, flew them a lot. The food was great.

ALITALIA = Always Late In Take-off, Always Late In Arrival!

[Gay State Conservative]

I've flown Alitalia twice.We were excited by both trips so we didn't pay much attention to the flight itself. We survived both...so they were at least OK.

[irishjuggler]

I flew Alitalia a few times in the ‘90s. Two things stick out in my mind...

1. The stewardesses were gorgeous... absolute knockouts. Long after U.S. carriers ceased the practices of hiring only beautiful women in the 20-30 age range, the Italians were maintaining a very high standard in this regard.

2. Half the passengers were chain-smoking.

[Rocco DiPippo]

Flew them many times between the ‘States and Italy. I’m American of Italian heritage and I know and cook Italian food like a pro. Alitalia food generally sucked. Best food and best in-flight experience? Emirates, hands down. Great food, wonderful service and smokin’ hot stewardesses.

[ryderann]

I remember when the MS Gripsholm was sold off. My Swedish relatives behaved like a family member had died.