Rome  - Italy's Economic Development Minister Claudio Scajola gave the green light Wednesday for the sale "at not less than 1.052 billion euros" (1.328 billion dollars) of struggling state-controlled carrier Alitalia to an Italian private consortium.

Scajola authorized Alitalia's bankruptcy commissioner, Augusto Fantozzi, providing the government's financial terms are met, to proceed with the "transfer of the airline's assets to the Compagnia Aerea Italiana (CAI) by December 1," said an Economic Development ministry statement.

Rome - A consortium of private Italian investors on Friday made a binding offer to purchase the state's controlling stake in struggling airline Alitalia, according to a consortium statement cited in news reports.

The offer was presented to Alitalia's bankruptcy administrator, Augusto Fantozzi a few hours before a deadline at midnight local time (2300 GMT).

The bid came after talks between the Compagnia Aerea Italiana (Italian Air Company), or CAI, consortium, and unions representing Alitalia employees.

Frankfurt - Amid a struggle in Rome to avert the collapse of Italian airline Alitalia, Lufthansa has resumed talks with Italy's government, the German airline said Friday.

Lufthansa chief executive Wolfgang Mayrhuber had travelled to Italy at the government's invitation and would also meet trade union leaders, a spokeswoman for Lufthansa said in Frankfurt.

She said she could not disclose what was discussed or who else Mayrhuber would meet.

Rome - Italy's near-bankrupt flagship carrier, Alitalia, is to continue with regular scheduled flights, at least until Monday September 22, according to the airline's government-appointed commissioner.

"Much depends on what will happen in the next few days," Commissioner Augusto Fantozzi said in the aftermath Thursday of the collapse of a bid by a consortium of private investors to take control of the state's controlling stake in Alitalia.

Fantozzi said that by law the company was compelled to continue providing services as long as funds are available. The commissioner indicated last week that money to buy fuel was in short supply.

Rome - Alitalia's Italian government-appointed commissioner on Saturday told labour union representatives that dwindling fuel supplies at the near-bankrupt airline meant that it could not guarantee flights beyond another day, news reports said.

"For tomorrow we have our flights guaranteed, but not for Monday. They are no longer supplying us with fuel," Commissioner Augusto Fantozzi told the unions, according to the ANSA news agency.

He also warned that Alitalia would begin to lay-off flight crews from 34 planes which have already been grounded as part of cost-cutting measures, ANSA said.

Rome - Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi lashed out Saturday at unions representing Alitalia employees, saying their opposition to a government plan to save the troubled state-controlled airline is politically motivated.

Berlusconi was speaking a day after a group of private Italian investors, CAI, broke off talks with the unions who reject an estimated 7,000 job cuts as specified in the cost-slashing rescue plan.