Air Transport

Italian flag-carrier Alitalia's administrator has formally put 46 of the airline's aircraft up for sale, and is requesting expressions of interest by the end of January.

Aircraft from the mainline carrier and regional division Alitalia Express are covered by the tender, and comprise the types which were not transferred to investor group Compagnia Aerea Italiana when it agreed to purchase Alitalia's assets.

The sale process will divide the 46 aircraft into eight lots.

Five lots will contain the mainline aircraft. One lot will comprise two Boeing 767-300ERs, three separate lots will have seven Boeing MD-80s, and one lot will have a single MD-80.

The regional aircraft will feature in the other three lots. Two lots will each contain four ATR 72 turboprops - one with -200s and one with -500s - while the third will hold 14 Embraer ERJ-145s.

Potential buyers are required to submit expressions of interest by 29 January. Despite the grouping into lots, bids for individual aircraft within each lot will be considered.

Alitalia administrator Augusto Fantozzi says interested parties will be required to replace - at their own expense - the Alitalia livery on the aircraft "immediately following the execution of the sale agreement" and before the aircraft leave Italian territory.