The deed is done. After being dumped out of the call for applications due to missing documents – despite presenting a better offer – and seeing ITA, its only competitor, also elliminated from the run, the Sardinian Autonomous Region made another call and decided, less than 48 hours before the start of the flights, that Volotea will operate its continuità territoriale flights.
Connecting Alghero, Cagliari and Olbia to Milan/Linate and Roma/Fiumicino, the call was done on an emergency basis as the incumbent airline – Alitalia – shut down its operations on October the 14th. The contract will run out until the original expiration date of Alitalia’s agreement, in May 2022, when a new run will be announced.
The operation is subsidized by the Autonomous Region of Sardinia – who regulates and oversees it -, and in exchange the airline charges a flat rate for residents, even in last-minute tickets. As the name (territorial continuity) says, it provides a reliable connection between the island and mainland Italy.
«We’re very happy on winning this race, which represents a huge result and confirms, yet again, the attention of the company towards Sardinia, its people and our numerous people based in the Island», said Carlos Muñoz, President and Founder of Volotea, in a press release.
The first flight, VOE1150 from Cagliari to Milan/Linate, took off at 07h03 this Friday, landing at 08h00 in the Milanese airport, operated by one of Volotea’s Airbus A320, registered EC-NOS.
Backlash
Naturally there was big backlash in Italy. To Cagliari’s Casteddu Online newspaper, Gian Marco Pileri, president of Sardinia’s Fiavet (Italian Federation of Travel and Tourism Companies), said that «we are very worried, Volotea will make damages inevitably grow, to us and to all people of Sardinia.»
He added that «seven months of hell or purgatory await».
The newspaper headline of the Friday edition of «L’Unione Sarda» said that «unions [are] critic» of Volotea’s choice, namely mentioning that being cautious about opting for a low-cost carrier.
