Sept 27 (Reuters) - Argentina's President Javier Milei

intends to sign a decree next week aimed at the privatization of

flag carrier Aerolineas Argentinas, said presidential spokesman

Manuel Adorni.

WHY IT'S IMPORTANT

Milei says the current structure of Argentina's largest

airline is bloated and is costing the country too much. His

efforts to trim costs have prompted fierce protests by unions.

KEY QUOTE

"Since its re-nationalization in 2008, state subsidies to

cover the company's deficits have topped $8 billion," Adorni

said in a press conference on Friday.

CONTEXT

Economist and former media pundit Milei came into office in

December vowing to take a chainsaw to the state budget, overturn

a deep fiscal deficit and rein in triple-digit inflation.

His previous push to privatize the airline was removed from

the text of an omnibus bill passed this year by Congress.

BY THE NUMBERS

Adorni said Aerolineas currently employs 1,204 pilots to fly

81 planes, or nearly 15 pilots per plane.

He had said earlier in September that Aerolineas had trimmed

its total workforce by 1,500 employees in recent months.

WHAT'S NEXT

The decree could allow Aerolineas to take steps toward

privatization such as hiring banks or sounding out potential

buyers, a company source said.

However, Congress could still override Milei's decree, as it

has done several times before. Milei's libertarian party only

has a small number of seats in the legislature, though he has

won over allies from the main conservative bloc.