Aeroitalia plans to leave Sardinia’s territorial-continuity scheme, which supports essential air links between the island and mainland Italy. Chief executive Gaetano Intrieri announced the intended withdrawal on 2 November after a meeting with Italy’s transport ministry, ENAC and the Sardinian regional government. The airline is seeking an orderly exit, potentially by January 2027, and says the process will not disrupt passenger services. The withdrawal has not yet taken effect.
Five routes operated by Aeroitalia are to be reassigned: Cagliari and Olbia to Rome and Milan, and Alghero to Rome Fiumicino. The Alghero–Milan service had already been suspended in October. No replacement operator or timetable for reallocating the routes has been established.
The dispute centres on the cost of operating subsidised services. Intrieri cited average fuel prices of €1,460 per tonne, against €630 per tonne assumed in the tender, and attributed €18.4 million in additional costs to the difference. Aeroitalia is awaiting compensation, while regional and ENAC calculations reportedly put the amount due for April to September at €2.6 million. Sardinia had committed in May to allocate about €20 million to Aeroitalia and ITA Airways, apportioned according to their operations; the funds had not arrived by September. Aeroitalia employs about 800 people, nearly half of them in Sardinia.