EasyJet is still engaged in discussions with the Italian government over Alitalia's short-haul operations but any deal needs to make commercial sense, the low-cost carrier's boss said today.
EasyJet, Lufthansa and budget carrier Wizz Air submitted expressions of interest earlier this year in at least parts of Alitalia.
But the lengthy formation of a new anti-establishment government in Italy, which finally came to power in June, delayed the process.
EasyJet's chief executive Johan Lundgren said any deal had to be strategic, has to be something the firm can handle operationally and has to make commercial sense.
"Those are the things we are looking for and those are the discussions we are having. And sometimes the discussions are progressing faster and sometimes they are progressing a little bit slower," he said.
EasyJet also said today that its passenger numbers grew by 5.6% to 8.6 million passengers in August.
