Monday, August 29, 2011

A FIRST FOR TRAPANI

Aeroporto di Trapani-Birgi
Image:  Wikimedia Commons

Sicily's Trapani-Birgi [Vincenzo Florio] Airport has this weekend been named the world's top airport for increased passenger use in the World Airport Traffic Report 2010 published by ACI  [Airports Council International]. It was ranked 406th airport overall in the study of data from 900 airports worldwide.

This is indeed good news for the airport that is the "gateway to western Sicily" and it could certainly do with some for, being a civil airport that is sometimes used for military purposes, Trapani-Birgi has found itself involved in the Libyan crisis, with NATO planes having taken off from there on missions to the country. This has sadly caused a 50% decrease in the airport's civil traffic in 2011.

Salvatore Ombra, president of the airport's management company Airgest, is, however, optimistic:  he says that, provided the Italian government lifts limitations on the use of the airport for civil flights from October 1st, as promised, the airport's apron is reassigned to civil aircraft and that the government pays the airport the €10 million due to it in compensation for disruption to civil flights, Trapani-Birgi will again be able to operate at full capacity, maintaining current routes and introducing new ones.

Good luck, Trapani-Birgi!

4 comments:

Rosaria Williams said...

Ah, the political and economic fallout around the world hits us, one way or another.

For us in the U.S. we get to pay more for gasoline as long as the Middle East is in turmoil.

Cuby said...

It is a small world particularly when unrest breaks out somewhere on the globe and we all feel it one way or another. Sicily is well placed as a jumping off place for North Africa but also from your posts it sounds a fabulous place too. Can't have everything - that's life!

Whispering Walls said...

Thank you for speaking to Cuby Poet

Welshcakes Limoncello said...

Hi, Rosaria. Yes, everything affects everyone else nowadays. Hi, Cuby. You are right. It's definitely a fabulous place. Prego, WW.

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