EasyJet, Lufthansa seek former Alitalia slots

ROME, Sept 25 (Reuters) - British airline easyJet (EZJ.L) and Germany's Lufthansa (LHAG.DE) have requested routes in Italy that were shed by near-bankrupt carrier Alitalia AZPIa.MI, Italy's civil aviation authority ENAC said on Thursday.

ENAC's chief Vito Riggio said Easyjet requested 20 of Alitalia's former Italian domestic routes operating out of Rome's main airport, Fiumicino.

He said Lufthansa requested eight routes operating out of Milan's Malpensa airport. The requests were made to the Italian firm that handles routes in Italy, Assoclearance, Riggio said.

Alitalia, which shed the routes earlier this year under a cost-cutting plan, risks collapse unless its unions agree to a buyout proposal by Italian investors that involves job and wage cuts. In a breakthrough, its four main unions signed off on the plan on Thursday.

(Reporting by Alberto Sisto; editing by Elaine Hardcastle)