No bids for air rescue services in Sardinia. The tender, worth over €189 million, launched by the Region (Regional Procurement Center, on behalf of Areus) was unsuccessful: no bids were submitted by the deadline of 4:00 PM on February 25th. The current service, under the existing contract, will be guaranteed until the end of June. At this point, it's reasonable to consider a possible extension for the company currently providing the service, Airgreen. But regardless of these hypotheses , one thing remains certain: the mega-procurement designed to improve performance has flopped.
Armando Bartolazzi was in charge of the department when the tender process was being drawn up. Before revealing his details, he announced that work was underway to ensure "a more efficient air rescue service." The tender was published on December 22nd, 2025: eight years of service (until 2034). Estimated value: €189.32 million. This money was intended to guarantee four operational helicopters, spread across four bases: Cagliari immediately, Olbia (24 hours a day), and Alghero (12 hours of coverage). Thirty months later, the new base in Sorgono would also become operational, providing lifesaving services 12 hours a day "for the central Sardinia area," and in particular "for the population of Nuoro and Ogliastra." Although, it was specified, "all helicopters can in any case be used without distinction throughout the region according to the instructions of the relevant 118 operations centers." And the possibility of using them for transfers outside the region was also envisaged, should extraordinary conditions require it.
The specifications, as expected, went into great detail when it came to describing the characteristics of the helicopters and the personnel to be employed on board, from the pilot to the winch technician.
The chosen award method was the most economically advantageous tender: for equal services, the operator with the lowest price would win. The Region was aiming to close the deal in recent days by announcing a guarantee of service continuity. Instead, the decision from the director of the regional procurement center's supply service, Gabriella Mariani, arrived : "No bids were received by the deadline for submitting bids, set for 4:00 PM on February 25th, and the tender was therefore unsuccessful."
