Alitalia's financial year net loss more than doubled in 2013
ROME (Reuters) - Italian airline Alitalia, which is finalising a tie-up deal with Etihad Airways, doubled its annual net loss to 569 million euros (450 million pounds) last year, Chief Executive Gabriele del Torchio said on Friday.
"Last year finished with a loss of 569 million (euros), partly because we have done a big clean-up of our balance sheet," Del Torchio told journalists as he left the company's headquarters after a shareholder meeting.
He added that the management of both airlines would meet over the weekend to seek to finalise the deal, which would see the Abu Dhabi-based carrier buying 49 percent of Alitalia, "as soon as possible".
(Reporting by Alberto Sisto, writing by Agnieszka Flak, editing by Isla Binnie)
