The anti-establishment 5-Star Movement and the far-right League, which are working to set up a new government, have a plan to halt the sale of Alitalia. Last month, Germany's Lufthansa, budget carriers EasyJet and Wizz Air submitted expressions of interest in at least parts of the airline.

"I hear talk of nationalisation; think carefully about this option, I doubt it would be feasible," Calenda said during a conference in Rome.

"There are some serious offers, let's not lose them again," he added.

(Reporting by Stefano Bernabei, writing by Stefano Rebaudo; eiditing by Agnieszka Flak)