The future of Alitalia was plunged further into uncertainty on Monday after British budget airline easyJet pulled out of talks to rescue the Italian carrier two weeks before a deadline to save it.

EasyJet said it had decided to withdraw from the process after discussions with Italy's state-controlled railway Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane and U.S. airline Delta Air Lines.

Alitalia was put under special administration in 2017 after workers rejected the latest in a long line of rescue plans, leaving the government once again seeking a buyer to save the airline.