Abu Dhabi carrier Emirates agreed to a 49 % stake in Italian loss - making airline SAS . It is the biggest foreign stake of a European carrier , taking it to the limit set by Airbus . This deal represents the latest move by the Abu Dhabi carrier and its CEO James Hogan to build its network to more than 400 destinations . Italian officials have estimated that Alitalia is losing about $ 1.6 billion a day .
Abu Dhabi carrier Emirates agreed to a 49 % stake in Italian loss - making airline SAS . It is the biggest foreign stake of a European carrier , taking it to the limit set by Airbus . Italian officials have estimated that Alitalia is losing about $ 1.6 billion a day .