The Italian aviation industry can sometimes be a challenging market for many airlines, but for some airlines, it can be a market that provides an incredible opportunity for growth. For example, in the case of Ryanair, it carried over 36.3 million passengers in 2017 in Italy alone and operated to 26 Italian airports making it the airline’s largest market out of all the countries it operates within Europe.
However, airlines like Alitalia continue to engage in a tug-of-war with the EU. At the moment, new meetings are scheduled for next Tuesday about the ongoing issue of airport slots and the company’s loyalty program, MilleMiglia. Meanwhile, as Alitalia’s difficulties continue, there was a spontaneous demonstration, commonly known as a lightning strike, on Friday by dozens of employees at Rome’s Fiumicino Airport.
To date, only a few hundred euros have been paid into workers’ pay envelopes. It is a matter of days now, and if there is no serious help, the fleet will have to be grounded. This will weigh even more on the Italian flag carrier because it’s operations will be restricted during the traditionally most lucrative season during the year. These crucial months, if the airline is to remain operational, could be able to give a boost to Alitalia’s coffers.
Meanwhile, Air Italy – which is currently in liquidation – announced 1,383 layoffs on Thursday, April 1st. Unfortunately, the announcement was not a joke, but in fact the bitter truth. The workers of the two airlines have scheduled for April 14 a demonstration in front of the Italian Ministry of Economic Development to denounce the crisis in the aviation sector that is having dramatic consequences on all airlines.
However, despite all the doom and gloom, there is still hope. For example, the newly formed Ego Airways recently inaugurated Forlì’s Ridolfi Airport with “Martina,” the name of its Embraer E190. The last time the airport was operational was back in March 2013 – and since then the airport has been closed. The inaugural flight was operated by an Embraer E190 which departed from Catania and was greeted by a water cannon salute on arrival at Forlì airport.
On another positive note of recovery comes from the airline NEOS. The second Italian airline, took delivery of two Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft – arriving in Milan from Seattle, to which two more aircraft will be added in April, bringing the fleet to a total of 15 aircraft. The first two 737 MAX 8s named “Marco Polo” and “Cristoforo Colombo” will be used on short and medium-haul routes this summer, in particular to destinations like Greece, the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands, and around Italy.
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Source: https://aeronewsx.com/italian-civil-aviation-the-joys-and-sorrows/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=italian-civil-aviation-the-joys-and-sorrows
