Topic: Alitalia

An Alitalia pilot reported seeing a "small drone" at 1,500 feet while on final approach to JFK International Airport. Air traffic control tapes reveal that other nearby aircraft, including Lufthansa and Delta flights, were unable to spot the object. While media reports implied a large military-style drone, tower communications later described the craft as a small quadcopter with four propellers.

Alitalia has entered a new form of bankruptcy protection in Italy after the government changed laws to facilitate receivership. Air France-KLM is reportedly interested in the brand but not the airline's debts. Meanwhile, Silvio Berlusconi has deployed thousands of troops to the streets of Italian cities like Rome and Milan, ostensibly to manage illegal immigration and "gypsy" populations.