ROUTES EUROPE: Cagliari Airport - Air Traffic on The Rise

Cagliari Elmas Airport was the fastest growing facility in Italy in 2009 and has seen passenger traffic more than double in the past four years. “Over the past two years we have registered very good traffic growth with double-digit numbers,” Vincenzo Mareddu, Chairman, Cagliari Airport told The HUB Daily.

According to Mareddu, the most recent growth can be attributed to the increase in low-cost carriers now serving the airport and highlights the arrival of Ryanair at Cagliari as playing a key role in its development. “Ryanair has had two aircraft based in Cagliari since March 2009,” he said.

A current study of the airport’s scheduled traffic (see table below), shows quite clearly how Ryanair has grown a notable presence at Cagliari. It now offers over 70 weekly flights to 15 destinations, accounting for 23.8 per cent of the airport’s weekly seat capacity.

Mareddu readily admits that the Irish low-cost carrier has had a major impact on the airport’s network and traffic growth, but is also quick to point out that his team is committed to working with all carriers that have an interest in the Sardinian market.

“Ryanair is very important as it has a significant market share, but all airlines are important to us, as we are focused on diversifying the airlines at the airport to avoid any kind of monopolistic situation,” he explained.

Local carrier Meridianafly is the largest operator at the airport with links to domestic destinations as well as Paris CDG, while Air One and Alitalia also offer flights to the Italian mainland. The low-cost carrier count is supported by easyJet which has flights to Basel/Mulhouse, Berlin, Geneva, London and Milan, while airberlin and Germanwings also provide links into the German market. Alongside Alitalia, three other flag carriers serve Cagliari: Lufthansa has flights from Munich, British Airways from London and Luxair from Luxembourg. Other airlines offering scheduled links include Darwin Airlines and Niki, while Edelweiss Air, Jetairfly, Monarch Airlines and Thomas Cook Airlines Belgium offer charter services. The main scheduled market is to mainland Italy but other key markets include France, Spain and Switzerland.

In tomorrow’s The HUB Daily we will look in greater detail at the airport’s planned growth, key future markets and its latest infrastructure project, due for completion later this month.