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Alitalia canceled Rome-New York flights from May 5 to 31 due to collapse in demand for the coronavirus and blockages to travel between Europe and the United States. The Italian company, in extraordinary administration since May 2, 2017, must do so without the only intercontinental route left after the start of the global health emergency that has brought air transport to record lows. Also one of the most profitable Alitalia routes.
The complaint
The cancellation of the route is a serious mistake, reports Fit-Cisl in a note. He is surprised that the decision to suspend flights to New York was made by Alitalia after the hearing of the transportation commission of the Chamber of Deputies. To listen to informal sources, stresses the federation, it would seem that the election was motivated by economic convenience and by the willingness of the teams not to remain parked for more than 24 hours.
Low income
In fact, what the delivery courier According to company sources, the decision was made to temporarily cancel the route to further contain operating costs at a time when revenues are hovering, as Commissioner Leogrande explained at the hearing, around € 5 million in the last month of 160 million in April last year. The same sources recall that today an Alitalia is still under extraordinary management and, therefore, must pursue the goal of efficiency.
The decision
The blockade of the Schengen area, of which Italy is a part, upon the arrival of those outside the Schengen area and, at the same time, the stop at the entrances of citizens residing in the same area of free movement in the The United States brought demand to almost zero. Dozens of European and American companies have decided to stop direct flights between the two sides of the Atlantic. The same is happening now with Alitalia that in recent days, sources at the Italian airport confirm, passengers boarded on JFK Rome Fiumicino-New York flights and vice versa, they had become very few. It is no coincidence that United Airlines has decided to suspend routes from New York to Rome and Milan Malpensa until October 23, while Emirates will resume, unless changes are made, Milan-New York from July 1.
The numbers
The Italy-EE route. USA It represents a loot of approximately one million passengers per year for Alitalia (in 2019 there were 978,394 calculated by the U.S. Department of Transportation). According to a 2017 document filed with a local district court, the tricolor airline claims that flights to and from the United States generate 30% of total revenue (equivalent to approximately one billion euros, ed) and at least 15% of total income is recorded in New York. In the period from March 2019 to February 2020, Alitalia transported 621,402 people to and from New York, according to the latest data provided by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which also manages the JFK airport where the airline operates.
May 3, 2020 (change May 3, 2020 | 4:09 PM)
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