Alitalia board to meet on Saturday-union source

ROME, July 24 (Reuters) - The board of Italy's near-bankrupt airline Alitalia AZPIa.MI will meet on Saturday, a union source said on Thursday.

On Wednesday, Industry Minister Claudio Scajola said a solution to rescue Alitalia was close but did not rule out the possibility of placing it in extraordinary administration.

Italian media speculated Alitalia could be reorganised under a modified bankruptcy law and split to separate its unprofitable parts from its money-making units. (Reporting by Alberto Sisto; Editing by Brian Moss)