Cagliari-Rome: in flight with the plane "patched with scotch tape"

"They treat us like a third world colony." Thus begins the observation of Mauro Pili, former deputy and journalist of L'Unione Sarda, who this morning discovered that he had traveled with an aircraft with "anomalous" characteristics.

«A plane patched with tape hadn't happened to me yet!», he explains adding the description of the story: «This morning, at 7.20, leaving for Rome from Cagliari, nobody noticed anything, due to boarding from the tunnel. Upon arrival at Fiumicino, the discovery of having traveled on a plane, passed off as from 2021, in reality scandalously patched up!».

«Obviously – he concludes -, an aircraft intended for routes to and from Sardinia! They will say that everything is in order! And there are those who believe it! And everyone in silence!».

THE REPLY – «Ita Airways always operates in compliance with the safety standards dictated by the competent authorities and with total respect for its passengers and on-board staff – is ITA's reply -. The maintenance intervention was necessary to temporarily deal with a damage found on a panel. This action was carried out in compliance with the manuals approved by the manufacturer which in these cases provides for the use of specific metallic 'high speed tape' specifically for aeronautical use (high speed such adhesive film tape - aluminum foil). In the specific case of flight AZ1588, operating the Cagliari-Rome Fiumicino route - the airline explains - the aircraft was fully functional and took off from Cagliari at 7.21, landing in Fiumicino at 8.14, 9 minutes earlier than the scheduled time without presenting technical problems. Ita Airways does not provide aircraft dedicated only to specific routes but uses its aircraft according to the operational needs dictated by the coverage of the entire network, it being understood that the aircraft used on routes in territorial continuity from/to Sardinia comply with the requirements imposed by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport. It is specified - concluded by Ita Airways - that flight AZ1588 was operated with an Airbus A320 with a 'Born in 2021' celebratory livery, created by Ita Airways to celebrate the start of flight operations, which took place on 15 October 2021".

(Unioneonline)