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.” 

Lumiwings is adding flights from Foggia to Milan, Turin, Verona and Catania starting from the end of September.

Overall there will be five weekly flights to Milan and two each to Turin, Verona and Catania. Subsequently these will increase to seven weekly flights to Milan, four to Catania, and three each to Turin and Verona. The new routes will be operated by a Boeing 737-300 with 139 seats.

Exceeding expectations 

"Over the last few months we have worked in synergy with Aeroporti di Puglia to meet not only the company's requests, but above all those from locals and visitors – said Lumiwings sales manager Chiara Rebughini -  and  I think we have  exceeded expectations. There were requests for flights to Milan, and we have also added Verona, Turin and Catania. We felt the need for more routes, in order to guarantee a range of connections between the North and the South.”

Aeroitalia will be a low-cask carrier says president Germán Efromovich and, starting on 9 July, Forlì’s Luigi Ridolfi airport will be the hub for Italy’s newest airline.

Speaking at a press conference at the Grand Hotel in Castrocaro, shareholder and non-executive president Efromovich, former owner of the Colombian company Avianca (South America's second largest airline, ed.) said he was “pleased to invest in this ambitious project for which we have created a network to meet the needs of a dynamic territory such as the Forlì area and the Romagna’s Adriatic Riviera. Aeroitalia's model is not low cost, neither is it high cost. I define it as a low cask (cost per available seat kilometre, ed.) which means with a very high cost efficiency at more than competitive prices, while strictly adhering to the highest standards of safety, comfort and service." 

“An aggressive pricing policy with strong customer focus”

Aeroitalia’s managing director Gaetano Intrieri Forlì's noted that the choice of Forl’ “is a good opportunity even if we are in a very competitive and challenging context, between Rimini and Bologna airports. But we will offer a different kind service to that of our competitors, through an aggressive pricing policy with strong customer focus.” 

23-kilos and cabin luggage included in all fares

Aeroitalia’s fares start at €29 one way and are already on sale online. Unlike the vast majority of carriers operating short and medium-haul flights, a 23-kilo hold luggage and an eight-kilo cabin luggage are always included in the fares, even in the basic class. 

Ten destinations in Italy, Malta and Greece

Initially Aeroitalia will operate from Forlì on eight destinations in Italy: Alghero, Brindisi, Catania, Lamezia, Lampedusa, Olbia and Trapani, with two to three flights a week and four on Naples, and with two international destinations, Malta and Zante. Operating with a 189-seat Boeing 737-800, by the end of the summer there will be three Boeings in the fleet and the aim is to reach 10 aircraft in the short term. Initially it was planned to introduce frequencies to North and South America as early as 2023, but Intrieri confirmed that given the sluggish recovery of the long-haul sector, Aeroitalia's transatlantic flights will probably not start before 2024-2025.  

Jet2.com is getting ahead of the game and introducing flights from Newcastle Airport to Verona this summer.  The weekly services to the Venetian city will be operated every Wednesday from 10 May 2023 until the end of September.

Holiday packages include airport transfers

With this addition, Jet2.com's network of summer destinations from Newcastle rises to 125, of which 34 are purely sunshine' destinations. In addition to the flight-only options, holiday packages are available with Jet2CityBreaks. These include flights, 22 kilos of checked baggage, transfers to and from the airport and a choice of 2 to 5-star hotels.

“Verona is a fantastic city break and close to Lake Garda”

"The demand for flights, city breaks and holidays from Newcastle Airport continues to be extremely strong," says Steve Heapy, CEO of Jet2.com and Jet2holidays. "The introduction of Verona to our operations this summer offers a fantastic city break option for those who want to visit a city packed with history, culture and beauty with the added benefit of having beautiful Lake Garda close by."

A trip of a lifetime on the luxurious Orient Express or, more simply, the comfort of a high-speed train: train travel across Italy is the true protagonist of this new spring. If, in the first case, it is the unquestionable charm of the historic train that conditions your choice (the most recent example being the Arsenale-Trenitalia and Accor La Dolce Vita Orient Express) as well as being a way to indulge in eco-sustainable and slow travel, on the other hand, for short and medium distances it is comfort and speed that win out.  

And so what was once a gold mine for airlines  - first and foremost Alitalia, followed Ryanair and easyJet, with alternating modalities and fortunes -  the Milan Linate-Rome Fiumicino route has had to yield to a competitor...without wings. The train. Suffice it to say that between 2005 and 2018 passengers flying between the two cities fell by 80%. And while the overall travel time is quite similar (around three hours for both the train and the plane), the central location of Rome's Termini station compared to Fiumicino airport makes a huge difference, so passengers go for the train. 

The result is surprising with 85% of all travellers opting for high-speed trains over flights, for a total of over 3.5 million passengers. In short, the train beats the plane, at least on the Milan-Rome route, which has long since ceded the crown of Italy's busiest air route... 

Mariella Cattaneo
Journalist