Asiana Airlines returns to Rome from Seoul twice weekly after a two-year interruption due to the pandemic.

Currently between Seoul and Rome Fiumicino flights departs every Tuesday and Saturday and from Seoul's Incheon Airport passengers can connect to other destinations, including Japan, China and some parts of the Pacific.

“We hope for a rapid recovery of tourist and business traffic”

"The resumption of two flights a week is an important first step in restoring air connectivity between Italy and South Korea, and we hope for a rapid recovery of tourist and business traffic between the two countries," commented Kim Hyeoktae, general manager Italy of Asiana Airlines.

Asiana is rebuilding its intercontinental network

"The reactivation of the direct flights between Rome and South Korea is an important signal for the resumption of air connectivity with the Far East, and we hope to see more and more countries reopen to international markets - underlined Federico Scriboni. - We are proud that Asiana has chosen Rome as part of its strategy to rebuild its intercontinental network, focusing on the relevance of the market and the quality of service and airport infrastructure that make Fiumicino the most popular airport in Europe.”

Eva Air is betting on Italy with a new Taiwan-Milan Malpensa route starting on 25 October.

The route was originally scheduled to debut in February 2020 but was suspended due to the outbreak of the pandemic. 

Two weekly Boeing 777-300er flights

Tuesday and Saturday flights, operated by a Boeing 777-300er, are planned on the Taiwan-Malpensa route, joining those already operating to London, Amsterdam, Paris and Vienna. Then on 3 November these will be joined by another new entry, Munich, on which Eva Air will operate four weekly frequencies. Tickets are already on sale through all the airline's sales channels.

Milan and Munich passengers arrive early in Taiwan

Milan and Munich are Eva Air's first expansion in the European market in 25 years. The carrier currently flies non-stop to Taipei from Paris and Vienna and operates direct flights from London and Amsterdam with a stopover in Bangkok. Passengers from Milan and Munich arrive at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport early in the morning, and from there can connect with flights to Eva Air’s numerous destinations in Asia.

Aeroitalia’s inaugural flight from F.A. Forlì airport took off for Brindisi on Saturday 9 July, the first of the scheduled services operated by the new independent Italian airline.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony

At a brief ceremony in Forlì’s air terminal shortly before the departure of the flight Giuseppe Silvestrini, president of F.A. Forlì Airport, and German Efromovich, non-executive President of Aeroitalia, cut the tricolour ribbon.

"Finally we are flying with a company that will allow us to reaffirm the concept of Forlì Airport as the airport of the Romagna region," commented Giuseppe Silvestrini adding that it is an honour to have Aeroitalia by their side

 

“Today a new era has begun in the world of aviation”

"This is an historic moment - said German Efromovich, - not only because it is Aeroitalia’s first flight, but because of the relationship that has been created with the management of F.A. Forlì Airport, which has always believed in our project. Today a new era has begun in the world of aviation, and we are proud of it.” 

Flights to another 8 destinations

Two other Aeroitalia flights were inaugurated last Saturday, one to Catania and one to Lamezia Terme . On Sunday fights started to Olbia and Naples, and from today flights from Forlì will gradually be introduced to Malta, Zante, Lampedusa and Alghero.

Other news about Aeroitalia: 

Aeroitalia will be a low-cask carrier says president Germán Efromovich

Aeroitalia. The new Italian airline with big ambitions

Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci is confirmed Europe’s best airport, having received the ACI Europe Best Airport Award 2022 in the category of hubs with over 40 million passengers.

Airport Council International (ACI) is the association that objectively assesses passenger satisfaction in the world's major airports.

Top among European airports

According to a jury of professionals from the European travel sector, ADR has placed top among European airports for the fourth time in the last five years based on customer satisfaction surveys.

Outstanding technological innovation

The Leonardo da Vinci airport was awarded for its outstanding technological innovation achievements, as well as how it has responded to the crisis and how it is innovating by focusing on sustainability goals. The Rome airport’s strategy is focused on a future in which innovation and digitization will be used to increase traveller safety and comfort.

Net Zero Emissions

Special recognition was given to Fiumicino's goal of becoming Net Zero Emission in 2030, 20 years earlier than the target set for European airports. This will entail intermodality, with the development of integrated train+aircraft services, and the use of SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel), the biofuel that can reduce CO2 emissions by 60–90%.

Passionate commitment

"We are proud of this new record – said Marco Troncone the CEO of Aeroporti di Roma - which is the result of the daily and passionate commitment of our collaborators and all our partners. We are working on the construction of the airport of the future with greater use of technology, maximum efficiency with regard to the environment, maximum safety, and a lot of comfort and value-added services for passengers. Just over a month ago we inaugurated an extensive new boarding area. This will play a crucial role in ensuring that Rome and Italy can reaffirm their centrality on the international scene.”

For Austrian Airlines, Vienna flights to Florence and Naples this winter will be the first time the airline keeps this Vienna schedule active during the winter months.

Flying to 80 destinations from Vienna

The novelty is among those proposed by the carrier for the 2022-23 winter network (effective from 30 October next), which will count 80 destinations. "In the wake of the high demand for travel recorded for the summer months -  explains a statement issued by the Austrian airline - "European destinations such as Naples, Valencia and Florence will also be on the flight plan during the winter.”

Operating to two US Airports and Cancún

The winter schedule also reserves ample space for long-haul flights. In addition to the two New York airports, Washington D.C. and Chicago, Austrian Airlines will again fly to Cancún on the Caribbean coast of Mexico. The company will also be operating to Bangkok every day, as well as to the Maldives and Mauritius.

The winter schedule starts on 17 October

"The good booking situation guarantees us a lot of tailwinds – said Michael Trestl, Austrian's CEO. - Due to the high demand last year, and the strong increase in bookings during the summer our long-haul leisure destinations will be connected significantly earlier this winter.”

In fact they are due to start operating from 17 October.

Edelweiss has launched new seasonal non-stop Zurich-Pisa flights. The route is operated twice a week on Tuesdays and Fridays with a 174-seat Airbus A320.

Connecting with international destinations in Zurich

The flights, which are mainly aimed at incoming traffic from Switzerland to Tuscany, are also a convenient connection for Italian passengers travelling to Zurich International Airport, which provides numerous connections to other European cities and destinations around the world.

One free sports bag

The first sports bag in the Normal category is carried free of charge and, of course, on-board catering is part of the Edelweiss offer. Edelweiss is a sister company of Swiss and thus part of the Lufthansa Group.

 

It's going to be a long, hot summer. And not just meteorologically speaking.  The air transport industry is preparing for, or rather has already entered the throes of, the long-awaited rebound in travel demand. But, apparently, not all that glitters is gold.

After two years of unprecedented crisis the signs are encouraging, said IATA Director General Willie Walsh at the recent General Assembly in Doha. Estimates are rosier than previously, there should be a return to profitability for airlines as early as 2023, and the overall loss this year will stand at $9.7 billion, almost two down from the last forecast of $11.6 billion. And significantly lower when compared to the industry’s $42.1 billion in the red in 2021.

But there are still clouds on the horizon. From extremely high fuel costs to inflation, and geopolitical tensions in more than one area of the world - first and foremost the ongoing conflict in Ukraine triggered by Russia's invasion. Add slower economic growth, and the persistence of Covid travel restrictions in an area as strategic as Asia for air traffic. Then toss in the personnel shortage affecting the entire air transport sector. All of which could jeopardize the positive trend of recent months. But “it’s a time for optimism,'” observes Walsh, citing the resilience of an industry that is now “leaner, stronger and more agile.” 

Mariella Cattaneo
Journalist

Ryanair is betting on Apulia with five new Bari routes and a 75-route summer operation. The new routes include the five new routes from Bari to Billund, Comiso, Edinburgh, Porto, and Tel Aviv, and the six new routes from Brindisi to Barcelona, Bordeaux, Genoa, Perugia, Stockholm, and Zagreb. The low-cost carrier will offer over 2.2 million seats for summer 2022 (60% more than the 2019 pre-pandemic summer) providing Apulia’s passengers with a diverse range of options to major European destinations in Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom. 

A 500-million-dollar investment

This summer Ryanair will have five aircraft based in Apulia (3 in Bari and 2 in Brindisi) for a $500 million investment. With 50 routes from Bari and 25 from Brindisi some 6.3 million passengers are expected to fly on these routes in 2023.

“The need to eliminate the tourism tax on all air travel”

"This is a record-breaking operation in Apulia, with over 780 weekly flights on 50 routes from Bari and 25 from Brindisi, including 11 new routes,” said Ryanair's country manager for Italy, Mauro Bolla. “This growth strengthens our commitment to support the recovery of the Italian market with more international flightds, while giving a boost to inbound and outbound tourism this summer. To accelerate the recovery of tourism we are asking the Italian government to eliminate the tourism tax on all air travel from 2022 to 2025. This tax is damaging the competitiveness of Italian airports compared to those in Europe.”

“The Irish carrier is driving tourism in Apulia” 

"The strong communion of intentions between Aeroporti di Puglia and Ryanair - added Antonio Maria Vasile, president of Aeroporti di Puglia - continues to produce excellent results for our region and for the economy. The Irish carrier's strong interest in Apulia and in tourism, which is the driving sector of our economy, translates into an operation that now covers all the most important markets.”

Aerolíneas Argentinas is operating Rome-Buenos Aires direct flights again from Fiumicino Airport. Following two years of absence due to the pandemic, the non-stop connections between Rome and Buenos Aires have resumed.

The airline marked the occasion at the departure of an Aerolineas Airbus A330 from Rome Fiumicino airport this week together with Roberto Carles, the Ambassador of the Republic of Argentina in Italy, Ivan Bassato, Chief Aviation Officer and Transformation Leader of ADR, Fabian Lombardo, Chief Commercial Officer, Network and Planning of Aerolíneas, and Claudio Neri, Country Manager Italy.

Confidence in Fiumicino Airport

"With the resumption of the Rome-Buenos Aires flights Aerolíneas Argentinas renews its confidence in the Roman market and in our airport - commented Ivan Bassato. - In 2019 these direct flights had topped 360,000 passengers and we hope that their resumption will quickly contribute to a recovery and surpassing of that number."    

High load factors and extra World Cup flights

"We are restarting with an almost 100% load factor right up to the end of August, and the forecast from September to December is excellent,” said Claudio Neri.  At this time of year there is a strong demand from Argentina to Italy, while from September to February, the high season, is when Italian passengers play a major role. We are starting with three weekly flights, and from September we hope to add a fourth frequency.  Then from November there will be extra flights - 12 are already planned for December - to take Argentinian fans to the World Cup in Doha, stopping in Rome." 

“These flights are also a sign for the Argentine recovery”

"As the national airline we are at the service of all Argentinians, and welcoming Italian passengers to Argentina makes us very proud," added Fabian Lombardo while Ambassador Carles stressed that Argentina and Italy are two countries with ties "that are more than ties: Argentinians are Italians who speak Spanish. This resumption of flights is also a sign for the Argentine recovery, today we are seeing an economic restart to which these direct flights will make a contribution.”