Alitalia suspends flights to Caracas

http://www.eluniversal.com/economia/150616/alitalia-suspends-flights-to-caracas



Airline Alitalia has decided to cancel is Caracas-Rome flights because of the debt the government of Nicolás Maduro has with the air carrier, amounting to USD 250 million (€ 220 million), Efe reported.

The Chief Executive Officer of Alitalia, Silvano Cassano, confirmed the reports.

"We have closed the flights to Caracas until the Venezuelan government pays the USD 250 million it owes us," Cassano stressed.

Back in May 2014, the airline also decided to cancel its Caracas-Rome connection, because it was not "cost-effective" anymore. Then on September 7, 2014, the Minister of Economy, Finance and Public Banking, Rodolfo Marco Torres, met with the representatives of Alitalia in Venezuela, and the flights were re-opened.