Worse than this, 2021 for Italian air transport could not close. Not that the sector has experienced happy years in the last two decades (so as not to go too far in time) but the year that is about to close has added one crisis after another among the airlines operating in our country, with an ever-increasing number of workers on layoffs, and the latest is that of Air Italy where, without a solution at the last minute, layoffs start tomorrow. But, in the meantime, the horizon of 2022 appears full of clouds and unknowns, starting with those linked to the impact of the covid.
The omicron variant has already hit international air traffic. Aci Europe, the European association of airport operators has already done the first accounts in recent days: in the three weeks following the first report from South Africa to the WHO of the variant (24 November 2021), passenger traffic in European airports has already suffered a blow with a 20% decline. Over the same period, load factors on flights to / from European airports are estimated to have decreased from 66% (week 46) to 54% (week 49). However, in the week that marks the start of the year-end holiday season, passenger traffic has reared its head with a 9% increase over the previous one with load factors regaining 2 points to 56%. Certainly, however, these numbers are not a good encouragement for the new year, especially if we consider that the covid effect is grafted onto the low season of air transport.
ITA AIRWAYS: it is in this scenario that the newborn company is preparing to play its bet. Its debut took place on 15 October after the curtain fell on the old Alitalia the day before. Ita took off with 2,800 employees, of which 1250 staff and 1,550 flight personnel, and 52 aircraft. A ‘mini’ company but which, as the top management has assured several times, has the right size to meet the demand of the current market phase. The prospect is to reach 76 aircraft next year. As a result, employees will also go up. The personnel of the aviation perimeter will increase by 1,000 units in 2022 to reach 5,750 in 2025. Meanwhile, in recent weeks Ita confirmed the order for 28 Airbus aircraft and signed an agreement with the unions that applies the national collective agreement, which it exceeds the company regulations with which it started. The company is entering into code share agreements but the most important industrial match awaiting it is that of the strategic alliance. There is no doubt that 2022 will impose great challenges on Ita Airways.
ALITALIA: with the birth of Ita, more than 7,000 employees of the comrades in extraordinary administration remained on the ground under the cigs regime. If for aviation, further reabsorption by Ita from the cigs basin is expected, it is now a question of what will happen for the handling and maintenance branches. On 20 December the tender for the sale of these assets was opened with the publication of the tenders. The deadline for the offers is set for next February 28th. The special commissioners will take into account the future prospects indicated by potential buyers: the evaluation criteria for the award will in fact be based both on the price offered (60 points) and on the industrial plan included (40 points). Since its foundation in 1947, Alitalia has carried out these two activities in self-production at its main Rome Fiumicino airport.
AIR ITALY: the fate of the company’s 1,322 employees hangs in the balance. Without new facts, collective redundancies start tomorrow. The hope is to be able to extend the layoffs for one year at the last minute. A miracle or a year-end mirage in which we hope until the last. It is certain that even for Air Italy in liquidation since February 2020, a history of almost 60 years ends. The Ismaelite prince Karim Aga Khan conceived the project for an airline based in Sardinia, with one of its main hubs in the Costa Smeralda. In fact, Alisarda was born in 1963. Over the years the company has undergone numerous renovations and reorganizations. From Alisarda it became Meridiana, then Meridiana Fly and finally Air Itay. On several occasions, there has also been talk of a merger between Alitalia and Meridiana, the last time being in 2013. Operation denied and never taken off because the two companies have chosen different paths with different partners even if geographically close. Etihad, the Abu Dhabi airline, lands in Alitalia with a minority stake of 49% (in order not to lose flight rights in the EU). Qatar Airways always enters Air Italy with 49% and take-off takes place in February 2018 with the operational heart moving to Malpensa. The then declared goal was to carry 10 million passengers in 2022.
NORWEGIAN: on December 13th a 12-month termination agreement was signed retroactive from December 6, 2021 to December 5, 2022. The company confirms its willingness to fire all 322 pilots and flight attendants employed in Italy and at the same time, the trade unions report, starts a selection of the same professional figures.
ERNEST: the collective dismissal procedure has been revoked by the trustee in bankruptcy by virtue of the signing of cigs for termination in effect until May 22, 2022. Currently about a hundred workers are in cigs.
BLUE PANORAMA: All flight operations are suspended. The procedure for an arrangement with creditors was started at the court of Milan. Two judicial commissioners were appointed. The workers are currently without salary, the trade unions denounce, as all exits must be approved by the commissioners. The fund is currently in effect until the end of the year. Cushions may not currently be useful to apply from January 1st. The workers concerned are 650.
EGO AIRWAYS: flights are suspended. The layoffs ended on November 30th. Cash extension is being evaluated for six months but there are important delays that make the situation of workers who are over 50 even more difficult.
As for the foreign airlines based in Italy, the unions report the case of WIZZ AIR: summoned to the Ministry of Labor to carry out the second phase of the cooling procedure, the company did not appear.