Alitalia flights grounded

Alitalia's flight attendants slapped Italy's loss-making flag carrier yesterday with a 24-hour strike that cancelled at least 88 flights and may cost millions of euros in lost revenue.

It was the third strike by the SULT union since last month in a fight for better contracts, and it angered passengers, some of whom arrived at the airport unaware of the industrial action.

"This only hurts clients," snapped one angry Italian man, standing before television cameras at Rome's Fiumicino international airport.

SULT union leaders warned that further industrial action may be necessary to fend off cost cuts that Alitalia says are needed for its survival.

"In the coming days we'll restart talks... If there are not further developments, there will be more strikes," warned SULT leader Fabrizio Tomaselli.

He added that Alitalia would probably have to cancel far more than the announced 88 flights and pointed to the two past SULT strikes, which caused 141 and 176 cancellations.

Alitalia Chief Executive Giancarlo Cimoli stopped at Fiumicino and spoke with Alitalia staff, without making public comments. Alitalia declined to offer an estimate on losses caused by the strike, but the SULT said it would reduce revenues by the millions of euros.

Mr Cimoli's rescue plan for the state-controlled airline focuses on slashing expenses, including thousands of layoffs. Cabin crews were spared job cuts after an accord with the country's largest unions that sacrificed part of employee wages.