Meridiana-Air Italy has announced that it will be cutting its Verona-Bari and Milan Linate-Bari services from September 16.
The merged airline took the radical step in protest at what its claims that Ryanair’s was using discounts on landing charges from local airports to subsidise domestic flights rather than develop international routes as promised.
In a statement the airline said: “Meridiana-Air Italy will verify the competitive conditions in each single airport. Should it find distortions, it will immediately axe the connection.”
The allegations were denied by Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary who stated that Ryanair doesn’t get any subsidies: “We negotiate discounts with airports. There are transparent discounts in Bari for international routes but not for domestic routes.”
Meridiana-Air Italy cuts Bari services
