Italian Economy Minister Giulio Tremonti on Tuesday said that the European Union (EU) may think about allowing help for ailing carrier Alitalia if it is intended for privatising the Italian carrier. A lot of speculation is going on about the airlines' future.

At a press conference after a meeting of European Union finance ministers in Luxembourg, Tremonti said, "Aid aimed at market operations such as privatization is different".

In the month of April, the Italian government made a decision to give a loan to the troubled carrier to keep it operating until a new bidder is found after Air France-KLM pulled out of an arrangement.

Alitalia received the aid after the government turned an emergency loan of 300 million euro into company capital of the carrier. The European Commission (EC) is examining it to investigate whether it breaches the rules barring state help.

The economy minister has said that the help was the only way to avoid liquidation of the national carrier.

On Friday, Italy unveiled its third attempt in eighteen months' period to find a buyer for the struggling carrier, naming Intesa Sanpaolo-the largest retail bank in the country-as consultant and issuing guarded new rules in the hope of expediting the process of selling ailing carrier.

Last Friday, the economy minister said that under the new guidelines, there will be no auction for the carrier and the government will not be required to reveal details about the sale until a deal has been finalised.