Alitalia’s board will meet on Tuesday to recommend a buyer for the Italian government’s 49.9 per cent stake in the loss-making airline following a last-minute increased offer from Air One, which is fighting to fend off its far bigger rival, Air France-KLM.

Romano Prodi, prime minister, is scheduled to hold a cabinet meeting on Friday to consider the board’s recommendation. The issue is also likely to come up when Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, visits Rome on Thursday.