Aeroporti di Puglia is preparing to close an “extraordinary” 2025 while looking at its next target: the United States.
“Almost a million more passengers”
“Yes, a record year, with almost a million more passengers,- said Antonio Maria Vasile, president of the Apulian airport management company in an interview with AGI. - In 2026, we are aiming for a change of strategy. The goal is to make the United States an exceptional market and Puglia's first customer, as well as capitalizing on a big event like the G7 (which was in 2024.Ed.). We had several delegations, including one from the United States, and now we aim to bring as many Americans as possible here.”
United to operate New York-Bari flights
In May 2026 United Airlines will launch its first New York-Bari flights. “We will have practically one flight a day, with two substantial differences. The first is dedicated to connecting the entire American market: in other words, we will connect Bari directly to Newark Airport. This is important because from Newark we have about 100 connections to all the main cities in the United States, for example an internal flight from Cleveland to Newark and from Newark to Bari. and then, Neos (Alpitour World's airline.Ed.) is ready to get the travel agency market moving again.”
Appreciation for the role of the travel agent
Vasile refers to the value of the professionalism of the travel agent, “who does not just sell you an airline ticket, he sells you an experience, a full, content-rich, well-organized holiday. We listened and received advice from travel agencies on a possible strategy, and this is how the idea of another carrier evolved, a carrier that connects us directly with New York, the airport of the most important city in the US."
