LCCs awarded seasonal slots at Milan Linate

Several low-cost carriers, including easyJet, Ryanair, and Wizz Air, have secured slots at Milan Linate airport for seasonal leisure services during the summer 2021 season, although thus far, only easyJet has confirmed its intention to use them. easyJet said it would operate from the metropolitan airport to Catania and Palermo in Sicily given growing optimism of a strong recovery in the domestic leisure market during the upcoming season. The airline plans to begin the services on June 11, operating 2x daily on both routes. In turn, Ryanair’s and Wizz Air’s plans seem more opportunistic and less clear. The two LCCs benefitted from relaxed slot utilisation rules during the COVID-19 pandemic, which allow operators to return slots they do not intend to utilise without permanently losing them. As such, they have secured slots only for several weeks of the current season. According to Corriere della Sera, Ryanair has secured slots to operate from Linate to Brussels National and Berlin Brandenburg Int’l only in June, September, and October, with a gap in July and August. Wizz Air, in turn, is also betting on the leisure market and has secured slots for services to Catania in June, September, and October (up to 3x daily) and limited services in August. Neither Ryanair nor Wizz Air confirmed their ambition to launch services from Linate. Both currently serve Milan Malpensa and Milan Bergamo in the Milan agglomeration. Ryanair’s Chief Executive Eddie Wilson explicitly denied plans to serve Linate during a press conference on April 13, 2021, citing the lack of available slots beyond the current summer season. In a statement to ch-aviation, Wizz Air’s spokesperson confirmed that the airline secured slots at Linate but refused to speculate on any route launches. On top of the pan-European LCCs, Blue Panorama Airlines has secured slots to connect Linate with Reggio di Calabria; EGO Airways – to Lampedusa, Pantelleria, Ibiza, and Mykonos; and Lumiwings to Lampedusa. Air Dolomiti also obtained slots to fly to Munich, while Austrian Airlines for flights from Vienna and Salzburg. Before the pandemic, congested Linate catered predominantly to business and point-to-point traffic. It is the only airport in the Milan agglomeration served by Alitalia, which currently has an 82.1% market share by capacity there.