“We are expecting to surpass Alitalia in 2010 and become Italy’s first flying company”. This is an estimate of Ryanair’s managing director Michael O’Leary in Rome for the opening of two new routes from Rome-Ciampino to Krakow and Seville, that will start in March 2010. Ryanair’s traffic in Italy in 2009 has increased by 22%, 18 million passengers in one year, while Alitalia’s traffic will decrease by 23% to 18 million passengers”.

In the next 12 months the company will have from Ciampino 31 routes, with 3.5 million passengers and 3,500 working positions.

In 2009 Ryanair added 5 new bases in Italy (Alghero, Bologna, Cagliari, Trapani and Pescara). Since Alitalia is cutting flights and Myair has gone bankrupt, Ryanair invested more than 750 million dollars in new airplanes and services in Italy. According to O’Leary the increase of airports fees won’t sustain investments and tourism, but will bring an increase on the cost of tickets damaging Italy”. “The Italian government must reduce taxes”. Comparisons with Ciampino and the transfer of flights to Viterbo: “Ryanair will leave Rome rather than moving its flights to Viterbo”. “It’s easier to fly on the moon than to open Viterbo”.

Translated by Chiara Nunnari from John Milton Institute