Airlines interested in guaranteeing flights in territorial continuity to and from Sardinia may also submit a proposal for acceptance limited to the period between May 15 and September 30, 2022.
This was established by a decree of the Minister of Sustainable Infrastructure and Mobility, Enrico Giovannini, which supplements the ministerial decree for the imposition of public service obligations of 25 November last.
"The procedure identified - explained the regional councilor for transport, Giorgio Todde - responds to the need to safeguard the right to mobility of the Sardinians and of the island to be connected with the rest of Italy, avoiding the start of new , any, exclusive concessions fall in the middle of the summer season ".
The Region, in close collaboration with the ministry, has imposed public service obligations, starting from 15 May 2022, on the Sardinian routes Alghero-Rome Fiumicino and vice versa, Alghero-Milan Linate and vice versa, Cagliari-Rome Fiumicino and vice versa, Cagliari- Milan Linate and vice versa, Olbia-Rome Fiumicino and vice versa, Olbia-Milan Linate and vice versa.
The new regime was announced with the publication in the Official Journal of the European Union on 29 December 2021, the date from which Community air carriers can express an interest in assuming public service obligations, for at least 12 months, without taking advantage of exclusive rights and without receiving financial compensation, according to the procedures detailed in the ministerial decree.
"The Region - he added - will, in the meantime, carry out the public procedures for the exclusive assignment of the routes in the event that no acceptance is received without exclusivity and without compensation. Considering the timing imposed by European legislation, these procedures however, they would allow the stipulation of any new concessions only in the middle of summer, creating uncertainty in connections to and from the island, inevitable inconvenience to passengers and economic damage for all the operators involved ".
Thanks to the supplementary rule, Community air carriers, in derogation from the general rule prescribed by the decree of 25 November last, will also be able to submit an acceptance limited to the time interval between 15 May and 30 September 2022.
October 1, 2022 was assessed as the date, if any, of the new exclusive concessions of scheduled air services on the affected routes.
(Unioneonline / F)