Ryanair wins Rome flights injunction
23.07.08
Ryanair has announced that it has won a court injunction against the Italian aviation regulator's decision to force it to divert late-night flights from Rome's Ciampino Airport to the city's main airport, Fiumicino. The airline and regulator have been at loggerheads recently over Ryanair's use of Ciampino.
The budget airline claims that regulator ENAC has 'unlawfully' prevented 18 late evening flights carrying more than 2,700 passengers from landing as scheduled at Ciampino since January, instead diverting them to Fiumicino. It said the diversions had resulted in late evening disruption and long and inconvenient bus journeys for thousands of Italians and tourists back to Ciampino to collect their cars or to meet relatives.
Ryanair claimed ENAC was flouting its own rules and regulations, which the airline says allow Ciampino-based aircraft to land after the midnight curfew. The airline added that it uses the quietest commercial aircraft in Europe for the flights and that these aircraft do not create any significant noise because they are landing flights only and do not result in a subsequent take-off.
Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary accused ENAC of trying to disrupt its operations at Ciampino as part of attempts to help beleaguered Italian flag carrier Alitalia. He said: 'We welcome the TAR Lazio Court's confirmation that Ryanair's aircraft can land at Ciampino Airport after the curfew and we now call upon ENAC to put an end to these unlawful and illegal diversions, which are causing serious disruptions and inconvenience to Ryanair's flights and Ryanair passengers.'
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