Municipal gov’t takes control of Lugano airport

The City of Lugano in southern Switzerland assumed full control of Lugano Agno Airport as of June 1, 2020, following the dissolution of the airfield’s former operator, Lugano Airport SA (LASA). The Swiss Federal Office for Civil Aviation (FOCA) had already approved the change in ownership. “This change requires various legal, operational, and organizational adjustments that must be approved by the regulatory authority. On the basis of the submitted documents, the FOCA has now given the green light for the continued operation of the airport,” the authority said. LASA was co-owned by the city and the cantonal authorities of Ticino. Facing sustained losses and little prospect of securing financial self-sufficiency in light of a lack of scheduled traffic, the authorities planned to hold two referenda to seek citizens’ consent to subsidise the airport. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the referenda were called off and the authorities decided to liquidate the company instead. Under municipal ownership, the airport will focus on general aviation rather than seek to restore scheduled traffic.