triumphs Ryanair, easyJet and Wizz Air beat Ita Airways- Corriere.it

Italians have returned to traveling by plane, in some cases even more than the pre-pandemic values. And they have done it more and more with low cost. But if domestic flights have archived Covid, effectively recording the same numbers as in 2019, international ones – especially intercontinental ones – have struggled, grappling with still reduced connectivity to some countries and entry barriers that have discouraged flows. In the background, the war in the skies between airlines led easyJet and Wizz Air to overtake Ita Airways, the national airline that took over from Alitalia in mid-October 2021. An overtaking anticipated by Courier in September and now confirmed by the report of the National Civil Aviation Authority (ENAC) on passengers who embarked in Italy last year or who arrived here by plane.

The streams

ENAC says that in 2022 flows will show significant growth compared to the previous year: with over 164 million passengers, traffic has more than doubled. However, these data must be purified from the double counting of passengers on domestic flights considered twice: one from the departure airport, the other from the arrival one: and thus those actually transited in 2022 in Italian airports were 131.88 million, 122.6% more than in 2021 and 17.7% less than in 2019, before the outbreak of the pandemic.

The segments

In this case, however, a further analysis needs to be done. Internal flows have reached pre-Covid levels, closing 2022 with 32 million passengers, against 32.19 million in 2019 (-0.5%), while flights within the European Union are still struggling – 28.7%. Leap in extra-EU connections, -2.7%, but in this case due to the UK’s move from the EU market to the non-EU market after Brexit. Also to consider the effect of the Russian invasion in Ukraine and Asia not yet fully open. Some intercontinental markets are still recovering: with North America marking -26%, the Middle East -29%, Africa-Indian Ocean -21%. Asia-Pacific registers -85% on 2019.

The countries

As regards the main foreign markets, Spain remains in command (over 14 million people), then the United Kingdom with 11.9 million, France with 10.2 million, Germany (9.8 million). On the long haul, the USA collected 3.44 million travelers with Italy (on direct flights). The other striking fact: in 2022 more than half of Italy’s passengers transited through five airports, Rome Fiumicino, Milan Malpensa, Bergamo, Naples and Catania.

The routes

Analyzing the guidelines at the national level, the routes to/from Sicily are confirmed in command. Rome Fiumicino-Catania, the most used, closed 2022 with over 1.5 million people (in both directions). Then there is the Milan Malpensa-Catania (1.2 million), then Rome/Milan with Palermo. On the European front, the Fiumicino-Madrid route wins (1.3 million travellers), followed by the Rome-Barcelona (950,000) and Rome-Paris Charles de Gaulle (810,000). On the intercontinental side, Malpensa-New York JFK prevails (685 thousand) – thanks above all to the competition of five airlines, two others operate at Newark airport – which has surpassed Fiumicino-JFK (641 thousand).

The airlines

Among the airlines, Ryanair confirms its leadership with 48.5 million passengers, including the numbers of the other divisions (Ryanair UK, the Polish Buzz, Malta Air). Second, but at a distance, easyJet with 14.1 million and Wizz Air with 11.6 million. In fourth place is Ita Airways with 10.3 million which was thus surpassed by both easyJet and Wizz Air. On domestic routes Ryanair carries more than double Ita’s customers (14.2 million against 6.4 million), on international routes – excluding the intercontinental ones where the Irish low cost does not operate – about ten times those of the Italian airline.

Low cost and traditional

These numbers also explain why low cost is strengthening its market share, carrying over 66% of passengers in 2022, both on national and international connections. But by analyzing the numbers better, it can be seen that on the domestic segment the share of low-cost companies went from 56.6% in 2019 to 72.5% in 2022. While on the international side from 54.3 to 61.9%. This case also includes intercontinental flights where, as written, low cost airlines do not operate. Therefore, eliminating the audience, Ryanair & Co’s weight in the European segment is around 71%.

The analysis

The crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic fortunately behind us as far as our sector is concerned, Pierluigi Di Palma, president of Enac, breathes a sigh of relief. Planes and airports have resumed having respectable numbers and connecting Italy with the rest of the world. On the other hand, air transport has changed our way of life in recent decades and has resumed its rapid flight as soon as health and social conditions have allowed it. With the same speed, which is a priority characteristic of civil aviation, technological innovation is leading us towards a completely new, sustainable and intermodal air mobility.

The first quarter of 2023

The recovery continues this year as well. In the first three months of 2023, air traffic volumes over Italy recorded a +4.2% compared to the first quarter of 2019, against European air traffic still down by 3.9% compared to the year pre-pandemic, confirms Enav, the company that provides civil air navigation services in the Italian skies. Of the top five European service providers, Italy, together with Spain, is the nation that grew the most compared to the volumes recorded in the first quarter of 2019: Germany -15.3%, France -9.1%, UK -6.9 % and Spain +6.5%.

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