Alitalia, which has made a profit only a few times in its 70-year history, was put under special administration last year after staff rejected a plan to cut jobs and salaries.
The Italian government is now looking for a buyer for the national carrier, hoping to strike a deal before national elections due March 4.
For 2018, Alitalia expects a "considerable" increase in sales and passengers, Lazzerini said during a conference in Rome, according to comments confirmed by a spokesman.
Alitalia's December sales grew by around 3 percent. It expects sales to rise between 4-5 percent in the first quarter, helped by new routes and plans to fill more seats, with the load factor seen growing between 6 and 7 percent.
Germany's Lufthansa, British low-cost carrier easyJet and US private equity fund Cerberus are among those that have expressed an interest in buying Alitalia, which controls valuable take-off and landing slots in the world's fifth-largest tourist destination.