Intesa Sanpaolo, which drew up a rescue plan for Alitalia, on Friday denied a French report saying former suitor Air France-KLM could become a majority owner of the Italian airline within five years.

Employment Minister Maurizio Sacconi also ruled out a report by French daily La Tribune that Air France-KLM could take a 10 percent to 20 percent stake in a revitalized Alitalia.

The report also said Intesa executives could have also offered it the option of becoming a majority owner by 2013.

"La Tribune's reconstruction of the possible changes in the shareholder composition of Alitalia and the role played by Intesa Sanpaolo in that regard is completely groundless," a spokesman for Intesa Sanpaolo said.

Air France-KLM and Lufthansa are tipped as front-runners to buy a stake in Alitalia after a relaunch led by Italian investors, but Italy's government has stressed that the airline will remain under Italian control and foreign partners can only buy a minority stake.

Economy Minister Giulio Tremonti said on Friday he would speak to parliament next week about the role of Air France in the new Alitalia.

Sacconi said the airline's cargo, maintenance, call center and IT operations would stay in the hands of Augosto Fantozzi, the administrator overseeing Alitalia's bankruptcy process.

One of the businessmen in the investor group Compagnia Aerea Italiana (CAI) said on Thursday the group does not plan to buy the bankrupt carrier's cargo and heavy maintenance units.

Alitalia filed for bankruptcy last week to set in motion the government-sponsored rescue of the flailing national carrier after a 20 month hunt for a buyer.

The carrier's powerful unions have yet to back the deal and have been given a one week deadline to get on board with the latest rescue plan.

CAI on Friday named a three member board with the head of the consortium, Piaggio CEO Roberto Colannino, appointed chairman. The man expected to become Alitalia's next chief executive, Rocco Sabelli, was named to that post.

A source close to the matter said CAI would be transformed into a company with a legal entity once the bankruptcy process became clearer.

CAI's investors also approved the acquisition of AP Holding, which owns Alitalia's domestic rival Air One.