Ryanair to suspend internal Italian flights
Posted on: 29 Dec 2009 at 06:46 AM in Airline News
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Ryanair will suspend all its internal Italian flights due to a dispute with Italian authorities over ID at check-in.

The Irish budget carrier says the Italian civil aviation authority’s determination to widen the number of documents acceptable as ID threatens security and the safety of its passengers.

The airline will suspend operations from Alghero, Bari, Bergamo, Bologna, Brindisi, Cagliari, Ciampino, Pescara, Pisa and Trapani from January 23.

Ryanair’s chief executive, Michael O’Leary, said: “We sincerely regret any inconvenience that this measure will cause to our Italian domestic passengers.

“However, it is entirely wrong of ENAC [Ente Nazionale per l’Aviazione Civile] to introduce lower safety/security measures on Italian domestic flights than the safety and security measures which already operate successfully on all Ryanair’s intra-EU flights and Ryanair’s domestic flights in every other EU country.”

A statement on the Ryanair website said due to the fact that it operated a web-only check-in policy passengers had to agree to produce either a valid passport of ID card when they arrived at the airport.

The Italian directive means they need produce “nothing more than [a] fishing licence,” at the airport, thus compromising safety and security.

According to Ryanair ENAC introduced the measures “without consultation or discussion” in November, prompting Ryanair to seek an injunction, which was lifted a few days ago, prompting the latest response.

The airline said the flights will only be restored if it “can be certain that the safety and security of its operations will not be undermined by ENAC’s unlawful interference”.

Separately, ENAC has fined easyJet €110,000 (£99,000) for delays and cancellations on its flights between Lamezia Terme, and Rome’s other main airport at Fiumicino.

Tags: ryanair