Alitalia Chief Executive Francesco Mengozzi is set to resign at a board meeting this week rather than bow to government demands to water down a plan to overhaul the carrier, Italian newspapers said on Sunday.
The government, which holds a 62 percent stake in the struggling airline, could then appoint a "commissioner" to replace the current management team and push through privatisation plans within months, the reports said.
As local and European elections loom, the government is particularly worried about the 2,700 planned job cuts included in the plan which have already sparked a rash of damaging strikes. Another 24-hour stoppage is planned for March 5.