(MENAFN) Etihad Airways and Alitalia unveiled their new strategic network details after the United Arab Emirate's official airline acquired 49 percent stake in the Italian airline, Gulf Business reported.
The new network included a number of Italian cities including services to Rome, Bologna, Milan and Venice, as well as the addition of Catania in Sicily, which will become the fifth destination linking Abu Dhabi with Italy and the first time it will be linked with a UAE carrier.
"Catania is going to play a key role. Small and medium-sized enterprises in Italy require mobility and access to global markets but you have to give them the right tools," Alitalia President said.
The airlines also revealed that Alitalia will go on a three-year restructuring plan that will focus on debt and cost reduction and productivity improvements this year, then move into stopping the losses and breaking even in 2016 and finally returning the airline to profitability by 2017.
The plan also includes selling 14 A320s to fellow Etihad partner AirBerlin, as well as exploring the option of reassigning new aircraft from Etihad's existing order book to Alitalia.
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