*Translated by Sara Pasino
MALPENSA – The first direct flight to Malpensa from Foggia took off on September 30. This was a historic event for the Apulian airport that reopened after 11 years of inactivity. Lumiwings believed in this opportunity and set a milestone for the relaunch of the “Gino Lisa” airport, which has undergone important restyling projects starting from the lengthening of the track. This is an opportunity for Malpensa to connect to the South of Italy and it shouldn’t be underestimated, especially considering the remarkable flows of air traffic in particular during the summer season and the winter festivities.
On board with Lumiwings
Starting from September 30, Lumiwings now connects Milan to Foggia with four weekly frequencies that will become five from December (every day except Tuesday and Saturday). «We did an analysis on the Catchment area and realised that there was a user base to be intercepted», explains Chiara Rebughini, commercial director of the Greek airline. Compared to twenty years ago, today the way of travelling has totally changed: tourists prefer to fly instead of catching buses or trains. On top of this, the business traffic shouldn’t be underestimated, because in Foggia there are many secondary locations of companies in the North. The Gino Lisa airport thus becomes strategic not only for Puglia, but also for the inhabitants of Molise, Avellino, Benevento and northern Basilicata». After Milan, Lumiwings will also connect Foggia with Turin, Catania and Verona.
The relaunch of the Gino Lisa airport
As evidence of the historical importance of the event, the vice president Raffaele Piemontese was present on the first flight Foggia-Malpensa: «On this first flight I hope that the ambitions of a larger territory of the province of Foggia will manifest themselves with such determination to thin out all the threats and weaknesses». Airports of Puglia company also bets on the reopening of the airport in Foggia. Airports of Puglia were the first in Europe to take part in the plan Sieg (service of general economic interest) that will guarantee remarkable European funds for the next 10 years. President Antonio Maria Vasile explains: «We have a lot of space at our disposal: we will try to bring the Gino Lisa airport as the first self-sustaining airport from an energy point of view. It will also become an international base of Civil Protection». On top of this the general aviation will bring high-spending tourists just a few steps from the beautiful sea of the Gargano.