OBSERVATION: THE DIVISION OF AIR TRAFFIC BETWEEN LINATE AND MALPENSA
PRESS RELEASE
The Italian Antitrust Authority has sent a note to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Transportation in which it emphasizes that the last Burlando decree not be allowed to reinforce Alitalia's dominant position on the Rome-Milan route.
The second Burlando decree, which was approved by the European Commission, has not completely resolved the Malpensa problem, because the new regulation, though no longer discriminatory between Alitalia and its foreign competitors from other members of the EC, creates problems for small Italian companies such as Air One, allowing Alitalia to increase its flights between Linate and Rome while forcing Air One to reduce its own.
It is thus necessary - notes the Authority - that the government remove all clauses that obstruct the small companies that operate on the Linate-Rome route. Further the Authority feels that consumer interests will be best served if - until Malpensa is efficiently connected to Milan - that small companies and new entrants are allowed to operate on other national routes as well.