Independent Swiss carrier Darwin Airline has this weekend inaugurated new flights from Palermo and Trapani to Pantelleria and Lampedusa in Sicily. The airline is offering links to both Lampedusa and Pantelleria from Palermo and to Pantelleria from Trapani with services due to operate through the Northern winter schedule.
Darwin Airline was selected to fly these public service routes by the Italian civil aviation authority, ENAC (Ente Nazionale per l'Aviazione Civile). For the last two years meridianafly has been responsible for the links and has flown some of the services in partnership with Avanti Air. An estimated 101,000 O&D passengers flew between Palermo and Lampedusa in 2011, 96,000 between Palermo and Pantelleria and 69,000 between Trapani and Pantelleria during the same year.
“We are particularly satisfied of this success as it is the result of the commitment of our entire group applying the new strategy and continuing our development plans,” said Maurizio Merlo, Chief Executive Officer, Darwin Airline. “We have set the target to become the regional company of reference for the flights in the Mediterranean and the new routes in Sicily are therefore an important step forward.”
This expansion comes at the same time the regional carrier has expanded its partnership with Italian flag carrier Alitalia. A new three-year deal was agreed in October 2012 to build on an original collaboration launched in 2010 and develop the commercial relationship between the two carriers through new marketing activities.
The new agreement comes into force in November 2012 and will see the use of the Alitalia ‘AZ’ code on all Darwin Airline flights into Italy, which currently includes the domestic Rimini-Rome route, flights from Geneva to Florence, Rome and Venice and seasonal services from Lugano to Crotone and Rimini. The arrangement will enable Darwin to offer its passengers onward connection opportunities from Alitalia’s hub in the Italian capital.
According to Maurizio Merlo, this partnership “perfectly fits” Darwin Airline’s strategy of positioning the company as a multi-alliance regional carrier. “The duration of the agreement enables us to strategically plan our future company’s development and also the Alitalia brand offers Darwin Airline strong marketing and a strong presence in its own domestic and in the international markets,” he added.
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