An entirely Sicilian airline. It is not a dream but a project with concrete foundations. The objectives are ambitious: to give back to Sicilians the right to mobility at affordable prices and to offer the conditions to create wealth and employment on the island by producing income and development in tourism, industrial, logistics and commercial activities. It's called Aerolinee Siciliane and it's a project that starts from the bottom. The formula studied is that of widespread ownership because the company wants to fly with the wings of both business and social responsibility. The company will act along three strategic lines operating in the air transport of passengers and goods, in aircraft maintenance and in the management of airport services.
The initiative was born from a need and an opportunity. The need is the right to mobility of citizens Sicilians today forced to pay foreign companies prices that are out of the market (at certain times of the year the Rome-San Paolo or Rome-New York costs even more than the Rome-Palermo or the Rome-Catania) to board a plane. The opportunity is air traffic growing by 11-12% per year. Today Sicilian airports have a traffic of 20-21 million passengers which, according to estimates by airport control and management companies, could reach 100 million in 2035. These figures are not exaggerated if you consider that the Balearic Islands already handle 90 million passengers a year.
Starting from these reasonings, a rigorous business plan was produced which, as a model, follows that of previous experiences (Windjet), updating it to current market conditions. If 35 million passengers traveled with WindJet, it can be understood that the space to enter this market exists.
The project was presented in Ragusa, the first stage of a road map that will touch all Sicilian realities. The chairman of the supervisory board Leonardo Licitrathe member of the management board Claudio Melchior, the shareholder Roberto Sica they illustrated the strengths of an initiative that sets precise times and deadlines. By September the aim is to close the widespread shareholding (the objective is to reach two thousand members and there are already 170 shares subscribed), and then to start flying in 2025. Initially with two planes, which will become ten (nine operational and one on the ground for the rotation required by maintenance) within 30 months. These are Airbus A319, A320 and A321. You can become a member by purchasing a share of 2000 euros (individual member), 10 thousand euros (business member), 400 euros (fractional subscribers).
Members will be guaranteed tickets at cost prices and other benefits. Benefits also for all Sicilians with a 15% reduction in the average ticket price (which will have a transparent price with a maximum ceiling), and with the possibility that with competition the competing carriers will further reduce their prices. To this it must be added that special rates will be applied to students residing outside Sicily, as well as for those over 65 who intend to reunite with relatives residing outside Sicily, or for those in need of specialist care or for students who will use Aerolinee Siciliane for travel. 'instruction. A solidarity fund will also be created (50 cents for each ticket) which will guarantee the right to mobility even for families or students in need. The average price of a ticket, under current market conditions, should be around 49 euros per flight. The company will also be able to guarantee an increase in employment (estimated 400 jobs and over 600 in related industries), the possibility of deseasonalizing tourist flows and prolonging stays in accommodation facilities, the transport of goods of our products abroad with repercussions on the GDP and development of Sicily that are easy to imagine.
Once fully operational, Aerolinee Siciliane, in the least optimistic of the forecasts included in the business plan, will be able to offer 64 flights and 11,300 seats per day flying to and from Catania, Palermo, Trapani, Comiso, Pantelleria and Lampedusa.
«Sicily – said Leonardo Licitra, Claudio Melchiorre and Roberto Sica – is the richest aviation market in Italy. We are not dreaming. The project is concrete. Our dream is only to continue living in Sicily. Today, rather, we are in a bad dream. We want to recreate the conditions for Sicilians to take their lives back into their own hands.”