Deutsche Lufthansa AG (LHA.XE) and two other parties have expressed interest in acquiring Alitalia SpA as part of a sale process for the troubled Italian airline.
Lufthansa submitted a document with its ideas for a "new Alitalia," the German company said Wednesday. The airline said it would only be interested in a restructured Alitalia and expects discussions to continue.
As reported Tuesday, U.K. budget carrier easyJet (EZJ.LN) also submitted a new expression of interest for a restructured Alitalia as part of a consortium. EasyJet didn't disclose its partners and said the process is "subject to confidentiality."
Alitalia, which entered insolvency proceedings last year, said late Tuesday that it had received three bids without itself revealing the potential buyers. It said it would examine the three offers.
According to Italian business newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore, low-cost airline Wizz Air Holdings PLC (WIZZ.LN) is the third party interested in the Italian carrier. Wizz Air declined to comment.
Various media reports have pointed to potential interest from Air France-KLM (AF.FR), Delta Air Lines Inc. (DAL) and Cerberus Capital Management LP, as part of easyJet's consortium.
However, a spokesman for Air France-KLM on Wednesday denied any interest in making an offer for Alitalia. Delta declined to comment, while Cerberus wasn't immediately available for comment.