ALITALIA REPORTS HIGHER NET PROFITS
Italy's national airline, Alitalia Spa
<AZPI.MI>, reporting a 14.6 pct rise in provisional 1986 net
profit, said it carried seven pct more passengers on domestic
routes last year, but 11.5 pct fewer passengers on flights from
North America and Canada.
    Alitalia said the drop in North American traffic had been
due to a general fall in the numbers of American tourists
visiting Europe caused by fears of terrorism.
    The airline reported provisional net profit rose to 55
billion lire from 48 billion in 1985.
    A spokesman said Alitalia was hoping for an increase in
traffic with the U.S. In 1987.
    It planned to increase the number of flights from Italy to
New York to 19 per week, to reinstate flights to Boston and to
re-open the direct Rome-Milan-Los Angeles service.
    The spokesman announced that from March 29, Alitalia would
be starting a new weekly service to Shanghai.
    For its summer 1987 programme, it would be adding 127 extra
flights to European destinations -- an increase of 27 pct.
 REUTER
