The government decree against expensive flights to the Islands is "ridiculous, illegal" and "interferes with the laws of the free market according to EU standards". This is why "it must be cancelled".
Ryanair CEO Eddie Wilson does not mince words, who rails against the government decree that intervenes on the fares of connections between Sicily and Sardinia and other Italian airports , defining it, among other things, "populist stuff, they tried it in Russia in 1917".
If that provision is not cancelled, he underlines, " there will be an impact on Ryanair's operations in Italy" .
Again, continues Wilson, who met Minister Urso today: «He can change the law, but they can't force us to fly to Sicily and Sardinia . To lower the prices you need to increase the places available. The people who are recommending it know nothing about economics , at school the first lesson they give you is that if you increase supply, prices decrease, but if you interfere and restrict prices, companies go the other way. If the decree stays like this, we will fly more to Spain. In Malta, in Cyprus, in the Canaries, they are rejoicing over this decree because they know that in this way we will fly more towards them ».
Wilson also replied to the accusations of the Sicilian governor Renato Schifani , according to which the low cost and Ita would have made a sort of cartel on flights to Sicily and Sardinia to raise prices.
" We are not part of any cartel, I won't let myself be insulted ", his words. «Ryanair has reached over 185 million passengers because we have lowered prices and we give value, we don't need to talk to incompetent companies. I've never spoken to anyone in Italy." Finally, again referring to Schifano's words: " He says rubbish, nothing but rubbish ."
Meanwhile, the Minister of Enterprise and Made in Italy Adolfo Urso , who had advocated and solicited the provision, now says he is ready to review it: «This morning I met the CEO of Ryanair who highlighted both the development plans he has in Italy and the problems of your company. I am also available to meet the other airlines to understand if the provision can be improved during the parliamentary conversion ».
The government decree states that on routes to and from the major islands, during periods of peak demand (summer, Christmas and Easter), the maximum price of flights cannot be more than three times the average operated by the company on that specific route .
The European Commission has also contacted the Italian authorities and is waiting to receive " more detailed information on the precise content of the tightening of the price of flights ". Brussels, explains a spokesman for the EU executive, "supports measures aimed at promoting connectivity at affordable prices in line with the rules of the EU internal market" and " free price fixing is usually the best guarantee of affordable prices in the market European » air transport . "Only in specific cases - he points out - the EU allows public service obligations with price regulation".
(Unioneonline/L)