Posts Tagged ‘italy’

Alitalia Cuts Flights As Liquidation Looms

Friday, September 19th, 2008

If you’ve got a ticket booked for future travel on Alitalia, now might be a good time to start looking into alternatives.

Amid fears of its pending liquidation, the BBC reports that the beleaguered Italian airline grounded between 20 and 30 flights today, though it insisted that technical difficulties prompted the cancellations, not a lack of funds to purchase adequate fuel.

The airline, which entered bankruptcy protection earlier this year, may cease operations over the next two weeks if no one steps in to take over its operations. Several rescue deals, including one last spring with Air France-KLM and a more recent one on the table that would have led to a merger with Italy’s Air One, have fallen through.

Snack Attack on Rome’s Spanish Steps

Thursday, July 17th, 2008

Fancy a panini on Rome’s Spanish Steps? Through October, locals and residents alike who loiter on the iconic stairway with snacks and beverages will be targets for Italian police, who are under orders to fine anyone littering or otherwise destroying the beauty of the city’s famous landmark. The ban also applies at other tourist hotspots like the Trevi Fountain, this CNN story reports.