Alitalia and banks strike deal to keep airline running: sources

Controlling investor Etihad Airways, which holds a 49 percent stake, is struggling to relaunch the loss-making carrier since investing 560 million euros ($585 million) as part of a wider 1.8 billion euro rescue deal in 2014.

Alitalia is losing half a million euros a day and is far from returning to profitability by next year, as pledged by Etihad two years ago.

Italian shareholders, including Italy's two biggest banks UniCredit (CRDI.MI) and Intesa Sanpaolo (ISP.MI), hold a combined 51 percent share.

(Story corrects to clarify in the second paragraph that Etihad investment in 2014 was 560 million as part of wider 1.8 billion deal.)

(Reporting by Alberto Sisto, writing by Giulia Segreti, editing by Steve Scherer)