Alitalia's final approach: Italy launching a new national airline

Text: Italy's 75-year-old national airline, Alitalia, will close for good in three weeks, with thousands of its employees losing their jobs. It will be replaced by a smaller state-owned carrier called ITA (Italia Trasporto Aereo or Italy Air Transport). The Italian government is backing the new airline with more than a billion euros and hopes to avoid the financial turbulence that dragged down Alitalia. Alitalia's staff are worried, and their union is trying to pressure ITA to hire them back, but the airline says it will need a smaller staff.

Al Jazeera's Adam Raney reports from Rome, Italy.

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