easyJet PLC (LON:EZJ) has pulled out of a consortium contemplating a bid for bankrupt Italian carrier Alitalia, just over a month after confirming its involvement in the process.
The FTSE 100 budget carrier said it had withdrawn from the grouping, which would have seen it partner up with Italian state railway operator Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane and US airline Delta, but added that it was still “committed” to the Italian market and would continue to invest in three bases in Milan, Naples, and Venice.
READ: easyJet says in discussions with others, including Delta Air Lines about forming consortium to explore options for Alitalia
Back in February, easyJet had confirmed that it was in discussions with the other consortium members, having previously submitted a non-binding expression of interest in a restructured Alitalia in October last year.
The Italian carrier collapsed into administration in 2017 for the second time in a decade as it continued to lose money and struggled to compete with budget rivals, with the Italian government left searching for a buyer ever since.
In mid-afternoon trading Monday, easyJet shares were down 1% at 1,246.5p.