"Aeroitalia has taken seriously and responsibly on its commitment to ensuring territorial continuity to and from Sardinia, ensuring essential connections for citizens and the region. We have done so in an already extremely complex context, taking on significant organizational and financial sacrifices. Today, however, without the concrete support of the Sardinia Region and the Government, this service is becoming increasingly difficult to sustain ." This is what Gaetano Intrieri, CEO of Aeroitalia , said in an interview with Il Messaggero regarding the conditions in which the airline finds itself operating.
"The problem isn't just the high fuel prices, which continue to have a significant impact on the economic balance of the service. We're talking about an additional burden of approximately €40 million. Today, like all airlines," Intrieri emphasized, " Aeroitalia is also facing several challenges, including the burden of the ETS, as well as the obligations associated with territorial continuity. These critical issues make the situation much more challenging than in the past, when the sector operated under better conditions. Added to this is the fact that the ETS continues to burden European airlines with high costs and opaque mechanisms, ultimately penalizing those who comply with the rules to the advantage of carriers that aren't subject to the same constraints. The real issue, however, is the idea of entirely shifting the burden of such significant critical issues, which are impossible for the airline to manage alone, onto the carrier ."
Intrieri then reiterated that they are "available and ready to discuss matters at any level. However, we have been participating in discussions for eight months: I raised the alarm in early March, and today, in November, we are still stuck in discussions. Words are no longer enough; we need concrete answers. Territorial continuity is a fundamental public protection and, as such, requires shared responsibility , timely responses, and constant institutional dialogue. In Sardinia, Aeroitalia has not only operated: it has invested, planned, and believed in the region. This is also demonstrated by a specific figure: we have hired 389 Sardinians. This means that our presence on the island is not just about flights, but also about jobs, the local economy, and a clear social responsibility towards the community. Therefore, it is no longer acceptable that, despite this effort, there is a lack of concrete signals, operational support, and a clear assumption of responsibility by local institutions. Without immediate commitments and a framework for greater collaboration, it becomes inevitable to open a very clear reflection on the future of this model ."
"We want to clearly state to Sardinian passengers and citizens that Aeroitalia has no intention of shirking its commitments: the goal remains to ensure service continuity, but conditions are needed that allow for this to be done sustainably . We therefore appeal to the Government, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Matteo Salvini, and the President of the Autonomous Region of Sardinia, Alessandra Todde, to intervene urgently to prevent an essential service for Sardinia from being compromised or interrupted," he concluded.
(Unioneonline/vl)