13 networks, 4 hubs and ‘booking’ paths appear – Corriere.it

Thirteen “network” of airports, fourteen airports of “special strategic importance”, twenty-six more of “national interest”, and three hubs for intercontinental flights that could increase to four. For Italy, we are moving towards the formulation of a new “National Airport Plan” between now and 2035 that updates the previous plan and that the National Civil Aviation Authority (ENAC) is working on with some external experts who have also prepared a study. The plan – explains those who worked on it – is still subject to change: on the one hand it does not require the construction of new airports, on the other hand it tries to preserve existing ones but with an eye to minimizing the environmental impact. The study, on the other hand, is expected no later than mid-October.

Objectives

Given the timing, the green light will be given by the next Minister of Infrastructure. In recent days, the directorate received a preparatory document from ENAC that courier was able to display. The intent is to group plants on a regional basis and create a reference airport for each core while the rest will serve as a “capacity reserve”: when the main airport becomes saturated, the additional traffic will be offloaded to other structures. It is an approach that Pierluigi de Palma, President of ENAC, said, Was expected in July in courier. “When some airports find it difficult to accommodate more connections because they are full, we will look at other factories.” After all, he added, “we will have to put limits on expansion.” Stops such as Bologna, Naples or Palermo cannot grow infinitely.

Networks

according to what courier He was able to read drafts of what should become the main structure of the “National Airport Plan”. Regional networks with airports of national interest are listed. these:
1) Northwest network: Turin, Genoa, Cuneo
2) Milan Network: Milan Malpensa, Milan Linate, Bergamo
3) Northeast network: Venice, Verona, Brescia, Treviso, Trieste
4) Emilia-Romagna Network: Bologna, Rimini, Parma, Forli
5) Tuscany Network: Florence, Pisa
6) Central network: Ancona, Perugia, Pescara
7) Capital network: Rome Fiumicino, Rome Ciampino
8) Campana Network: Naples, Salerno
9) Boulian network: Bari, Brindisi, Taranto, Foggia
10) Calabria Network: Lamezia Terme, Reggio Calabria, Crotone
11) Eastern Sicilian Network: Catania, Comiso, Lampedusa
12) West Sicily network: Palermo, Trapani, Pantelleria
13) Sardinian network: Cagliari, Olbia, Alghero

Strategic stops

The second relevant point of the document states that “within the aforementioned aerodromes of national interest, the following aerodromes are of special strategic importance, with respect to the criteria established by Article 698 of the Navigation Act,” and thus refer to the higher structures of each subgroup:
1) Northwest Network: Turin
2) Milan network: Milan Malpensa and Bergamo
3) Northeast Network: Venice
4) Emilia-Romagna Network: Bologna
5) Tuscany Network: Florence
6) Central network: Ancona
7) Capital Network: Rome Fiumicino
8) Campana Network: Naples
9) Bolian Network: Barry
10) Calabria Network: Lamezia Terme
11) Eastern Sicilian Network: Catania
12) West Sicily Network: Palermo
13) Sardinia Network: Cagliari

Intercontinental hubs

Then the document expanded the consideration of intercontinental flights. “In the context of the airports referred to in paragraph 2 – we read – play the role of transcontinental gates, due to their ability to respond to demand for large traffic areas and their high degree of connection with European and international destinations, the following airports:
a) Rome Fiumicino and Milan Malpensa as institutional national centers;
b) Venice as a career center;
c) Catania as the geographical center of the Mediterranean
As for the airport of Sicily, the document specifies, this can only be done “after the creation of the appropriate infrastructures”. Starting to increase the runways to accommodate more aircraft and even larger aircraft.

Ciampino and Linate

Sources make it clear that there was absolutely no intention to close Rome Ciampino airport and limit flights to Milan Linate – as I wrote in a newspaper – because both airports already have travel restrictions – for urban, environmental and societal issues – which in fact prevented its growth. Not only that: plants like Linate, even with, for example, flight restrictions (it is possible to make point-to-point connections, within the European Union, and in the coming months, within 1500 km of distance), remain strategic and economically profitable.. At Milan City Airport, as expected before courierL’Enac plans to intervene with a special order.