Ryanair eyeing Alitalia stake

Ryanair would seek a majority stake in Alitalia if it decides to invest in the loss-making Italian airline, chief executive Michael O’Leary said during a visit to Rome yesterday.

Alitalia filed in May to be put under special administration for the second time in less than a decade, starting a process that will lead to the airline being overhauled, sold off or wound up.

“In case of an acquisition, we would be interested in a majority stake, not a minority one,” Mr O’Leary told journalists during a news conference in Rome.