By Angelo Amante
ROME (Reuters) – Ryanair on Wednesday said it would remove an aircraft from Rome Fiumicino and curb expansion at the Italian capital’s second airport due to rising costs and flight restrictions, as the city braces for an influx of additional tourists in a Jubilee year.
The Irish carrier, which has long argued with Italian authorities over fees and regulatory issues, said in a statement airport costs were set to increase by 15% in Fiumicino and 44% in Ciampino by 2028, with local taxes also on the rise.
“These restrictive policies are damaging connectivity, tourism and jobs in Italy, particularly in Rome, where enhanced air connectivity is needed to support inbound tourism during the Jubilee year,” said Ryanair, the largest operator in the Italian market.
The Jubilee, a Holy Year for Roman Catholics, is expected to bring up to 32 million tourists to the Italian capital in 2025 according to the Vatican. That will put a severe strain on the city’s infrastructure and transport links, including airports.
Ryanair announced it would cut its investment by 100 million euros ($104 million) at Fiumicino. It also complained that limitations on the number of flights imposed on Ciampino due to the noise was damaging its business.
There was no immediate comment from Aeroporti di Roma, the company which operates the two airports.
“The Italian government continues to limit Rome’s tourism potential in view of the Jubilee 2025 by not removing the restrictive limit on flights at Ciampino, which could easily host twice as many daily flights as at present,” Ryanair executive Eddie Wilson said.
“If you look at it in the Italian context, we’ve got 65 million passengers here and that’s not just holidays, that’s a huge amount of domestic traffic … and Italy just can’t seem to get enough of connectivity,” he told Reuters during a visit to Rome. ($1 = 0.9599 euros)
(Reporting by Angelo Amante; Editing by Keith Weir)
