Gianluigi Aponte
Gianluigi Aponte – founder and executive president of the MSC group – is the man who wants to conquer Ita Airways, the “new Alitalia”. Born in 1940, graduated from the Nautical Institute of Piano di Sorrento, he is at the top of the first shipowner in the world in containers (in terms of transport capacity he has just ousted the Danish Maersk from the first place). The third cruise brand (MSC Cruises, on the podium behind Carnival and Royal Caribbean) and the management of 62 port terminals also belong to the Aponte galaxy. His MSC – Mediterranean shipping company, based in Switzerland and a strong presence in Italy – expressed interest on Monday to acquire the majority of Ita Airways, with the aim of a partnership with the government, now a 100% shareholder, and the German Lufthansa.
Is it possible that, once the majority of the Italian company has been taken, MSC will subsequently step back in favor of Lufthansa?
«For us the main thing is to have the majority of Ita Airways. The Germans can enter as a business partner or even as a minority shareholder. We want to manage the company, otherwise we wouldn’t do this. We do not want to be a “sleeping partner” (non-operational partner, ed) ».
If you join the shareholder structure, will you change the top management?
«Ita Airways already has an excellent management, which will remain in place. We will be part of the board of directors, through which we will express our ideas for the development of the group ».
“The creation of synergies with our business, both on the cruise side and on the freight transport side”.
«For cruises, we want to facilitate the influx of passengers in the Italian ports where our ships dock. And in foreign ones, such as Miami in the United States or Dubai in the United Arab Emirates ».
Could you name some Italian airport on which you think Ita Airways could increase its presence?
«We are evaluating, in any case we need to study the profitability of each move and each stop. These are considerations that we will deepen with the management of the company ».
“We have various development projects on this front as well. Many of our customers need not only sea freight services, but also air freight services. With Ita we will be able to work on both. We already have an excellent clientele to fill the planes ».
Returning to Lufthansa, at what point are the talks with the German company?
«We are talking, the contacts naturally continue. Lufthansa is a large listed company and needs its time to decide ».
Have you talked to Ita Airways?
“We have expressed our interest in President Alfredo Altavilla”.
If Lufthansa is a large listed company, MSC is a large family-owned group. What are your strategies for the future, in addition to the Ita operation?
«To continue to do our job and to grow with the market».
When do you think the pandemic and the turmoil on markets and trade will end?
«It is still difficult to make predictions. The important thing for our company is to overcome the international situation and seize the opportunities that arise ».
Like Ita Airways. But, besides the Italian company, did you have other objectives, always on the air side?
“We were certainly studying various hypotheses, but Ita Airways and its presence in Italy proved to be an excellent opportunity to develop our strategies”.
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