Air France Not Alitalia's Top Choice

Alessandro Bianchi, Italy's transportation minister, on Tuesday said he would be "unhappy" if Air France-KLM bought Alitalia. The struggling Italian carrier officially went up for sale on Friday, and analysts are pointing to Air France-KLM as a potential buyer, with plans to turn Alitalia, Italy's flagship carrier, into a regional company. The French-Dutch airline would then claim the large passenger flows and hubs for itself, United Press International reported. The Italian Ministry has said it would prefer Alitalia remain in the hands of its home country. In an interview with Rome's Radio 24, Bianchi said, "I would not be happy with the takeover, but I would adapt to it."