Ryanair today announced its Summer 2025 operating plan for Alghero, Cagliari and Olbia airports in Sardinia. The plan includes the deployment of three aircraft and a $300m investment in Cagliari , aiming to serve 71 total routes and carry 4.4m passengers per annum . In addition, the plan supports over 3,300 direct and indirect jobs in the region.

However, the airline has expressed concern about limited growth in Sardinia due to the municipal surcharge on air tickets. Ryanair Chief Commercial Officer Jason McGuinness explained that this tax penalises passengers without bringing any benefit to the Region and has a negative impact on local tourism , employment and access to low fares for Sardinian residents.

Despite the difficulties, Ryanair said it is in discussions with the Sardinia Region to evaluate the possibility of canceling this tax. The company also presented a plan that foresees a scenario of great growth, with particular attention to the deseasonalization of traffic, which could bring long-term benefits to the region. "For several years in Sardinia, in February and March we have always announced growth for Sardinia and for Cagliari: new routes, new investments, doubling of the capacity of Alghero, the opening of Olbia: this is the first year in which we cannot announce significant growth: the reason is the municipal tax".

A situation in contrast with the growth recorded in other Italian regions, such as Abruzzo, Calabria and Friuli Venezia Giulia, which have abolished the tax and seen a significant increase in traffic, tourism and employment. "The Sardinia Region - McGuinness specified - is aware of this and is also aware of the fact that if, if nothing is done about the tax, there could be a crisis in the winter for connectivity and a reduction in the number of flights in Cagliari, but also in Alghero, where there could be a very strong reduction for the winter of 2025. We hope that there will be positive feedback".

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