Ryanair: "The Italian Government should support the initiatives of the Sardinia Region"
Announced new routes for the winter to and from Alghero. According to the Irish carrier, to cut fares and have more connections, the right path is that of the aid provided for in the legislative decree of the Giunta
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«The Italian government should support Sardinian initiatives and airports, to attract winter air connections, rather than drafting anti-investment decrees. Minister Urso should support this fantastic Sardinian initiative, and respond positively to Ryanair's proposal, which aims to bring another 2 million passengers to Sardinia".
By announcing five national routes to and from Alghero for this winter, the Irish low-cost airline applauds the decree of the Regional Council (being examined by the Council with the connected to the Budget Law) which provides direct aid to carriers by reducing airport costs by up to 50% for the opening of new stable routes for at least three years.
This winter, Ryanair will operate over 30 weekly flights between Alghero and main continental destinations including Bologna, Milan-Bergamo, Milan-Malpensa, Naples and Pisa.
According to CEO Eddie Wilson, "while Ryanair is investing and driving growth for Sardinia, the Italian government is instead doing the opposite with its misleading decree, which violates European Union regulations, imposing an illegal price cap on fares . The Italian Government should support and incentivize stakeholders and airlines, like ours, to drive connectivity and tourism for the population of Sardinia with lower access costs enabling the delivery of higher capacity, more connectivity and lower fares for services all year round.
Basically – underlines the company – fares are automatically lowered (as is the market) if the offer increases, and the offer can increase if the carriers are given incentives to operate in the airports.
"The statements by Ryanair's CEO in support of the Region's proposal aimed at reducing airport charges for the opening of new stable connections, both on national and international routes, confirm the effectiveness of the action implemented by the regional administration and encourages us to continue with determination and timeliness towards the approval of the provision», says the councilor for Transport Antonio Moro.
"The confirmation of the commitments made at the time by CEO Wilson, regarding the increase in Ryanair passengers in Sardinian airports (two million more in 2024) due to the halving of airport access costs, is the best answer to the doubts and to the fears that have emerged in the last few hours, following the controversy with the Government on the ceiling on the tariffs in the air connections with the Islands".
In the government decree, much contested by Ryanair, there is also the cap on the maximum fare for non-residents, advocated by the Region. And in this regard, Moro specifies: «The limit of the maximum fare is established in the Government decree for routes operated with public service obligations, i.e. in flights of territorial continuity which, as is known, concern connections to and from the three airports Sardinians with Rome-Fiumicino and Milan-Linate. Connections and system which have never registered Ryanair's participation in European tenders for the award of these routes and which will hardly see it interested - as repeatedly stated by the Irish carrier - due to organizational choices and company philosophy".
(Unioneonline)
