Sassari «We are in the free market, when players make legitimate choices there isn’t much to discuss. Based on legitimate choices made by others, Aeroitalia will legitimately no longer fly to Alghero from next October.”
Short but intense, the honeymoon between the young and dynamic airline and the north-west airport could already be over: the announcement comes just on the eve of the already planned strengthening of connections between the Catalan airport and the Linate and Fiumicino airports operated by Aeroitalia itself, which starting from 16 June will become four per day. But the words of the carrier’s CEO Gaetano Intrieri they don’t leave much room for interpretation.
The obstacles «With the routes to Rome and Milan we are doing very well – confirms Intrieri –, we have a significant increase in passengers, but operating in Alghero has costs that we cannot afford and which do not allow us to continue to be here. The taxes of the Coral Riviera are double those of the market, it is the most expensive airport in Italy. When the current tender expires we will leave, satisfied with what we have done, certainly saddened but certainly without any controversy. Because we are talking about legitimate choices on the part of those who manage the structure.”
Stomach ache However, costs are not the only problem highlighted by Aeroitalia. “You can’t be in heaven despite the saints,” says Intrieri. What does this mean exactly? «It means that F2i (the company that owns the Alghero and Olbia airports, ed) in recent months he has made sacrosanct choices and has always kept us out. I am thinking for example of the hangars in Olbia, for which we had expressed interest, and which after a tender were entrusted to others. Legitimate choice. How legitimate it is to choose to give rivers of money to Ryanair. Now we will see if the Irish company will participate in the tender for continuity and if it will give back to Sardinia some of what it has received”.
History Aeroitalia began operating in Sardinia in July 2022. It subsequently participated in the tender for territorial continuity, winning the routes from Alghero to Linate and Fiumicino and Olbia-Linate. «And they are doing very well. Flights from Alghero are growing exponentially, Olbia-Linate has surpassed Malpensa – confirms the carrier’s manager -. But in all of this we have also invested in the territory. We hired 120 former Air Italy workers who were in Naspi. We sponsored local sports teams. In short, we have shown that we do not want to behave like people passing through.” Would you have expected more concrete mediation from politicians? «Legitimate choices have been made, we are in the free market and everyone decides based on their own interests. We will do the same.”
No announcement The CEO of Aeroitalia therefore excludes that the company will participate in the tender. Are you sure there can’t be any second thoughts? «Certainly in this world there is only death, but the certainty is that with these costs in Alghero we are not able to participate. The tender expires in a month, it is something that must be prepared in advance and I honestly say that we are not working on it. But there is a solution, if they want to find it – Intrieri says half-seriously and half-jokingly -. There is a public, national company, which is supported by our taxes, and which can certainly make an effort and cover these routes of territorial continuity. Which among other things, I repeat, have demonstrated that they can give satisfaction and are highly appreciated by travellers.”
The reply On the Sogeaal front, the management company of the “Riviera del Corallo”, 71.25% owned by F2i Ligantia, 23.06% by the Region and 5.69% by Sfirss, the reply is up to the CEO Silvio Pippobello. «The level of taxes paid at airports – she says – derives from investments and management, energy, cleaning and security costs. They are regulated costs that derive from a precise calculation which is then approved by the aviation authority. Will Aeroitalia not participate in the tender for continuity? I read the news and I’m sorry, also because the more companies participate, the greater chance there will be of assigning routes. I make no comments – adds Pippobello -, I can only say that Alghero from a traffic point of view is the weakest of the three Sardinian airports and in recent months it is recording a significant increase in traffic. I’m talking about +9% since the beginning of the year and an exceptional +25% in May. It is possible that this weakness is finding a solution, because today the airport is very attractive.
