Austria's Welcome Air to take over Air Alps

Welcome Air, a small regional carrier based in Innsbruck and owned by Swiss Lions Air Group AG, is in the process of taking over Air Alps, an independent Austrian regional that is 76% owned by BZS Holding, a consortium of several Italian companies. Air Alps connects regional airports such as Bolzano, Rimini and Parma with Rome Fiumicino and also flies between Perugia and Milan Malpensa. It operates the flights in cooperation with Alitalia. "The plan for the merger is well underway and could be completed soon," an Alitalia source told ATWOnline. Air Alps currently operates five 31-seat Dornier 328 turboprops.