The world's largest welcome mat to celebrate the 75 millionth passenger : this is what the airline Volotea created this morning at Olbia Costa Smeralda airport.
The curious installation, which has officially earned a place in the Guinness World Records, welcomed Fabio Bonaiuto, who had just disembarked from a plane from Barcelona.
The celebrations had actually already begun on the flight : during the trip, passengers were involved in a special moment, with the announcement in the cabin and the presence on board of part of the Volotea team – including the founder and CEO of Volotea, Carlos Muñoz – to celebrate the important milestone.
“Ciao Mamma, sono il viaggiatore 75.000.000” (Hi Mom, I’m passenger 75.000.000), the phrase that greeted Fabio Bonaiuto upon arrival in Olbia, written in clearly visible letters on a record-breaking 75-square-meter doormat. The passenger also received a gift of 75 free flights, to share with his or her mom. An acknowledgement to celebrate the value of travel, but also that of returning to one’s loved ones.
" Celebrating our 75 millionth passenger with such a special initiative is a huge emotion for all of us at Volotea . This world record is a symbol of our commitment to offering unique experiences to our passengers, demonstrating that we are a low-cost company that provides services and achieves high-level goals", said Carlos Muñoz , founder and CEO of Volotea.
"We are particularly proud to celebrate the milestone of the 75 millionth passenger right here in Olbia , where Volotea made its first flight in April 2012 - added Silvio Pippobello, CEO of Geasar SpA -. Since then, Volotea has experienced constant growth, strengthening its presence to the point of opening an operational base and becoming a reference carrier even during the winter months. It is a strategic partner for us that has always believed and invested in our territory, guaranteeing regular connections even in the low season and in the most complex moments for the air transport sector. Our collaboration has consolidated year after year, helping to connect Northern Sardinia in an increasingly widespread and effective way with a growing number of destinations".
THE DATA – Olbia has always been a strategic stopover for Volotea and, in 2025, the carrier will offer 1.1 million seats and 27 routes, confirming itself as the first company in terms of number of connections from the Sardinian airport. From 2012 to today, of the 75 million passengers transported by Volotea, almost 10 million have flown to or from Sardinia, which confirms itself as one of the most important markets for the carrier. But not only that: the Barcelona–Olbia route, on which the lucky passenger was travelling, is the only international connection operating during the winter from the Sardinian airport and represents a strategic axis for Volotea on which the company is firmly focusing.
(Online Union)