EasyJet Drops Out of Alitalia Bidding in Setback to Government

  • Discussions continue despite formal withdrawal of EasyJet
  • U.S. airline has stakes in carriers from Mexico to China

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Photographer: Krisztian Bocsi/Bloomberg
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Delta Air Lines Inc. will continue to pursue a takeover of Alitalia SpA’s operations after a potential partner dropped out, leaving the Italian government with only one industry suitor willing to take the unprofitable flag carrier off its hands.

The U.S. airline said it was continuing discussions with state-controlled railway Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane SpA about taking a stake in Alitalia even after the U.K.’s EasyJet Plc formally withdrew Bloomberg TerminalMonday. Delta is studying an investment of 100 million euros ($113 million), newspaper Corriere della Sera said on Sunday.