The negotiated procedure for the assignment of routes in territorial continuity from the Alghero airport to Rome and Milan , launched after the failure to submit offers in the tender which expired on 30 December last, is fully legitimate.
Therefore , the Regional Department has decided to bring forward to 28 October 2023 the deadline for the assignment of routes burdened by the imposition of public service obligations and to consistently recalculate the amounts placed at the auction base.
«The legitimacy of the negotiated procedure is fully compliant with Italian and European law - reads a note from the councilorship -. In the light of these changes, it is necessary to proceed with the reopening of the terms of the procedure: Monday 6 February 2023 for registration on the SardegnaCAT platform, Monday 13 February 2023 for the presentation of offers and Tuesday 14 February 2023 for any acceptance without compensation and without exclusivity ".
The Region will award the new services by October 2023 following a new European tender for the air connections between Alghero and the two destinations of territorial continuity. In case of assignment of routes with compensation and exclusivity, the European tender must be published by April 2023.
"The solution adopted - declares the Councilor for Transport, Antonio Moro - allows to guarantee, immediately and without interruption, flights to and from Alghero until the beginning of the next winter schedule and at the same time satisfies the request made by the Management General Transport of the European Commission, to proceed with a new tender for the definitive assignment of the routes in continuity until 26 October 2024".
THE UNIONS – «Rather than air continuity we could speak of continuity of uncertainty and chaos », comment the general secretary of Uiltrasporti Sardegna William Zonca and the regional secretary Elisabetta Manca regarding the reopening of the negotiated procedure for connections to and from Alghero.
«Following the rejection by the European Union of the negotiated procedure, the Ras modifies the conditions and reopens the end of the procedure giving time to the carriers concerned to submit offers until February 13 and the following day for possible acceptance without compensation – write the two trade unionists -. It will be necessary to wait another two weeks to find out which carrier will be able to guarantee flights from next February 17 until mid-October 2023 ».
« Alghero remains in suspense - they continue -. The reopening of the terms of the procedure means that no company will be able to sell tickets until at least the middle of next month, compromising the mobility of north-west Sardinia and increasing the delay for next season's tourist planning. Starting tomorrow - conclude Zonca and Manca - it will be necessary to work for the next 12-month tender, increasing economic resources in order to avoid a repetition of the situation that the Algherese airport is experiencing».
(Unioneonline/D)
