Newly installed Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta had called out the state owned railway group Ferrovie dello Stato to take a stake in the distressed national airline Alitalia. The remarks were first reported in Il Messaggero last Sunday,

The government would be holding a meeting by Monday to discuss the financial support to be infused into the aircarrier. This was confirmed by an anonymous government source with Reuters last Friday.

Ferrovie dello Stato CEO Mauro Moretti would attend the meeting, as confirmed by Il Messagero without divulging its sources. The meeting would discuss a possible investment in the beleagured airline. This move blunts the efforts of Franco-Dutch airline Air France-KLM, which made its intentions public of wanting to take a stake in Alitalia.

Air France-KLM, through its CEO, said its 25% shareholdings would keep the company interested in the future of the airline. He had previously said that the Franco-Dutch airline would help the Italian airline, under strict specific conditions.