Airlines Deals

Low-cost airlines easyJet and Ryanair have backed moves by the European Commission to look into the operation of flights between the Italian mainland and Sardinia.

Both airlines have faced legal challenges to their plans to offer flights to the island, with Italian air travel regulators saying the routes are protected via Public Servicing Obligations (PSO) designed to guarantee continued service on routes deemed to be unprofitable and remote.

Earlier this year, easyJet’s inaugural flight from Milan to the island’s airport at Olbia was stopped from taking off and check-in desks were closed down. Passengers protested to the Italian officials.

Arnaldo Munoz, of easyJet in southern Europe, said: “We are very pleased with this decision and are confident that the investigation will restore competition on routes to Sardinia.

“The winners would be the Italian taxpayers, the flying public who will benefit from more choice, lower fares and better service as well as the region of Sardinia, which would benefit from a boost in tourism.”

Ryanair is also keen to see the restrictive measures taken down and claim that the price of a flight from Italy to Sardinia has gone up from €40 to €160 in the past few months.

Peter Sherrard, of Ryanair, said: “Sardinian consumers and visitors are being ripped off, denied choice and paying fares four times higher than Ryanair’s, solely as a result of the unlawful actions of the Italian authorities to block Ryanair’s flights and permit the routes to be taken over by high fare Italian airlines.”

easyJet currently flies to Sardinia from Gatwick, Geneva and Berlin, carrying more than 200,000 passengers to and from Sardinia since flights began a year ago.