All to be redone. Outside Volotea, which however has appealed to the TAR, and outside Ita. On the skies of Sardinia it is now chaos. And while the date of October 15 (the day on which Alitalia should stop flying) is approaching, it is still unknown who will have to guarantee the connections at controlled rates (against economic compensation) between the airports of Sardinia and the airports of Rome and Milan. A risk that has been mentioned for some time and is beginning to materialize.
The call for urgency
The Region of Sardinia, to overcome the phase of uncertainty, and while waiting to prepare a tender for the assignment of sections under territorial continuity for two years (46 million per year), had activated another tender with an emergency procedure of 37 million euros (before discounts) for seven months. Precisely for this reason he had invited 11 companies to present expressions of interest by 1pm on 29 September. To participate, however, only two companies: Volotea and Ita.
Two companies competing
The first, which had submitted an offer with a discount of 11.5 million euros, was excluded because the company name and a photocopy of the managing director’s identity document were missing. After the first observations, the announcement of the Iberian company to appeal to the TAR with a request for suspension. Everything solved? Not really. The only one remaining was also excluded from the race. That is, Ita, which had presented a drop of 8.5 million euros.
All out, we start again
On Wednesday, the Region asked the company for further additions, which arrived on Thursday morning. In the afternoon, then the announcement: «The Regional Department of Transport has excluded Ita from the tender for the award of the territorial continuity air service, due to lack of requirements – reads a note from the Region issued at 16.53 -. A negotiated procedure is initiated. 12 carriers will shortly receive an invitation to submit their offers ».
The simulation
“From a flight booking simulation to and from Milan and Rome from the three Sardinian airports with day trip and return, carried out personally – says Arnaldo Boeddu, general secretary of Filt Sardegna -, a very harsh and harsh reality emerges: after the prohibitive prices of in the past few days there is now no possibility of departure ». It’s not all. The trade unionist adds that: “If there is the need to leave and return in the day after October 14 as well as the needs of the Sardinians, or with the rules designed to break down the gap due to insularity, it is practically impossible to date.”