Easyjet, Europe’s second largest carrier, has announced plans to slash its domestic and international passenger numbers by nearly half to 2m at Rome Fiumicino‎‎ Airport in 2016 and close its base entirely, blaming high charges ‘which have more than doubled since 2012’.

The airline’s management also slammed the airport for its ‘poor passenger experience’ which it says has led to low levels of punctuality and customer satisfaction which recent capacity increases have exacerbated.

While easyJet will continue to fly an estimated two million passengers in and out of Fiumicino‎‎ Airport, it is giving up its operational base at the airport and transferring all staff to other locations, with the main winners announced as as Malpensa, Naples and Venice.

Frances Ouseley, easyJet’s Italy Director said: “EasyJet’s commitment to Italy is strengthened. With the opening of the new base in Venice and the investment increase in Milan and Naples we will be providing customers and companies with better choices to travel across our leading network, enabling the growth of local economies.

“Our capacity to and from Italy and the size of our Italian route network reflects our belief in the importance of Italy. EasyJet will base 29 aircraft in Italy next year and plans to carry over 15m passengers on the country’s best European network serving over 170 routes.”

 

The news will come as another blow to Rome Fiumicino Airport management, which is still counting the huge cost of the fire that caused major damage to Terminal 2 on May 7 in Terminal 3. [Click here for details: http://www.trbusiness.com/regional-news/europe/serious-fire-damages-rome-fiumicino-airport-shops/76218].

Commenting on the redeployment exercise to other Italian bases from next year, easyJet CEO Carolyn McCall‎ said: “Italy is a key strategic country for easyJet and our plans for 2016 announced today will expand our presence at Milan, Naples and Venice, where there are more opportunities for long term sustainable and profitable growth, while ensuring we continue to connect Rome Fiumicino with Europe in a way that best reflects passenger demand.

“Milan, Naples and Venice are all centres of important Italian economic regions. Each has high levels of passenger demand from leisure as well as business passengers and all have demand for flights both into and out of Italy. Our expansion in these three airports will bring thousands of direct and indirect jobs in each region and will ensure easyJet remains the largest airline at each airport giving all three cities the best network connecting them with the rest of Europe.

“At a time when there are significant profitable growth opportunities for easyJet across Europe we are continuing to make a very significant investment in Italy.  easyJet has grown steadily in Italy in recent years in terms of investment and jobs and will base 29 aircraft in the country next year, employing over 1,000 pilots, cabin crew and other staff and supporting thousands more direct and indirect jobs.”

 

EasyJet is also opening a new base in Barcelona from February 2016, basing three Airbus aircraft there where the carrier already carries nearly 3m passengers to and from 14 airports across Europe.

 

Meanwhile, back in Italy easyJet management says its plans include basing four Airbus aircraft at Venice Marco Polo Airport starting from April 2016, which will provide 150 local jobs for pilots and cabin crew. EasyJet is the largest airline at Marco Polo Airport, currently flying to Venice from 15 primary airports across Europe, where traffic has increased by 15% over the last year. These destinations include London Gatwick, Amsterdam and Paris Charles de Gaulle.

Airline management added: “Milan Malpensa is already easyJet’s second largest base with 18 aircraft and will receive three more from April 2016, providing over 100 new jobs for pilots and cabin crew. This will strengthen easyJet’s existing status as the largest airline at Milan Malpensa and gives the airline a strong strategic position serving Italy’s richest metropolitan area of some 9m people with one of the country’s highest GDP.

“EasyJet opened its new base in Naples in 2014 and is now firmly established as the largest airline at the airport.  Naples is southern Italy’s largest city and the third largest in the country. EasyJet already bases three aircraft in Naples and will base one more plane there from April 2016 providing 35 more jobs for pilots and cabin crew.”