News: Ryanair asked to transfer Rome flights this winter
Flights > News > # 1364 (17/07/2007)
Italian authorities have asked Ryanair to transfer its Rome flights to Fiumicino this winter in a bid to cut traffic at Ciampino.
Italian transport minister Alessandro Bianchi said concern has been growing about the rapid expansion of Ciampino in recent years which has seen annual passenger numbers swell from 800,000 to five million.
Local authorities want to slash the number of flights into and out of Ciampino, starting as early as this winter season, but will face fierce opposition from no-frills airlines based there. Ryanair declined to comment, saying it had not been notified of the decision, but in the past the Irish budget giant has said it would axe its Rome flights rather than use Fiumicino.
Add to:
Related Airlines:
Comment:
We're not quite sure why Ryanair have been singled out here, but the airline clearly sees some considerable advantages in staying put at Ciampino airport. Other budget airlines such as Jet2 and BmiBaby might have already started to offer cheap flights to Rome Fiumicino, but we can see why Ryanair would not want to move there. Apart from the operational disadvantages of moving to a much larger airport, Ciampino is the only airport used by Ryanair which is closer to the city centre than the main international hub.
