The European Commission has endorsed Italy's privatization of flag carrier Alitalia, Transport Commissioner Antonio Tajani said on Tuesday.

Alitalia, which filed for bankruptcy in August last year, was formally relaunched in January as a smaller, regional carrier with fewer staff and a revamped network, under the ownership of the CAI group of Italian investors.

Alitalia agreed in January to sell a 25 percent stake to Air France-KLM for EUR323 million (USD$410 million), giving the Franco-Dutch airline wider access to Europe's fourth-biggest travel market after years of courtship.

Throughout the process the European Commission watched closely to ensure the ailing Italian carrier received no state aid and was eventually sold at market prices. A monitoring trustee was selected to check.

"The trustee has confirmed that it was truly the market price, and the Commission shares that view," Tajani told reporters of the sales to CAI and Air France-KLM.