AVION TOURISM #77 Special Edition for Milan Bergamo Airport

MILAN BERGAMO AIRPORT CONFIRMS ITS POSITION

AS THE BEST AIRPORT IN EUROPE

IN THE 5-TO-15-MILLION PASSENGER CATEGORY

For the second year running, Milan Bergamo Airport has been recognised as the best European airport in the 5-to-15-million-passenger-per-year category by ACI, the International Airport Association, once again receiving the much-desired Airport Service Quality Award. The award is assigned on the basis of opinions expressed by passengers in almost 500,000 interviews gathered by ACI regarding their travel experiences in approximately 300 of the world’s best airports.

As well as the Airport Service Quality Award, the International Airport Association has added two more awards that qualify Milan Bergamo as the Most Enjoyable Airport in Europe and Easiest Airport Journey in Europe. These awards are yet further evidence of the commitment of SACBO employees and airport operators, who collaborate on a daily basis to offer services that meet passenger expectations, thus earning their praise.

Milan Bergamo Airport: confirmed the appreciation of the services offered to passengers also in the fourth quarter of 2022

Great outcome on the service quality front for Milan Bergamo Airport, which closes 2022 confirming its top ranking according to the surveys carried out by ACI World, the international airport association.

In the last quarter of 2022, the surveys carried out by ACI World, the international airport association, confirm the appreciation of the services offered by Milan Bergamo Airport, which shows a significant increase in the already high levels achieved in the quality of services and spaces both compared to the previous quarter and to the corresponding period last year.

Gate Imbarco aeroporto di Milano Bergamo. Foto: Copyright © Sacbo Spa.

The periodical study on the level of appreciation among airport users, part of the ASQ programme run by the Airports Council International (ACI) World and involving 300 of the most important airports on an international level, shows for Bergamo Airport an overall satisfaction rating of 4.6 (out of a maximum of 5) against a world average value of 4.3 and an Italian average value of 4.2.

These results concern all levels of the airport as a whole, with five-percent point increase in appreciation compared to the previous quarter, allowing the airport to further distinguish itself in the international air transportation sector, which reveals a confirmation of the level of satisfaction of the previous quarter.

Servizi ai passeggeri all'aeroporto di Milano Bergamo. Foto: Copyright © Sacbo Spa.

Passengers at Bergamo Airport expressed the highest appreciation for business services (4.8, the highest in Italy), but also were considerably happy with the high levels of accessibility to the airport (4.7), the clarity of signage (4.7), the use of spaces within the terminal (4.4), together with comfort and cleanliness (4.4), another highly important factor was the appreciation for the professionalism and availability of support staff (4.6). The good value for money of the retail and catering offer is finally emphasised by passengers with the highest Italian score (4.4).

Interno dell'aeroporto di Milano Bergamo. Foto: Copyright © Sacbo Spa.

The excellent results presented above are a confirmation of the attention paid by Milan Bergamo Airport to satisfy the needs of its clients, who are characterized by their young age (72% under the age of 45), their high computer and internet skills (95% use internet to book their flights and check in), the significant use of public transport to reach the airport (approximately 40%) and travel for tourist reasons (60%) or business/personal and family reasons (40%).

2 NEW STRUCTURES FOR MAINTENANCE AND

100 NEW JOBS FOR ENGINEERS IN THE LOMBARDY AREA

The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure and Transportation Matteo Salvini inaugurated (Monday 6 March) the 4th and 5th Ryanair maintenance hangars at Milan Bergamo Airport. These two new hangars represent a further 20 million euros in investment from Ryanair at Bergamo Airport and will create more than 100 new highly paid jobs in the aeronautical engineering sector for the Lombardy region.

Inaugurazione dei 2 nuovi hangar Ryanair per la manutenzione presso l'aeroporto di Milano Bergamo. Il taglio del nastro per l'inaugurazione dei due hangar. Foto: Copyright © Avion Tourism Magazine.

The Deputy Prime Minister Salvini was welcomed in Bergamo by the Managing Director of the Ryanair Group Michael O’Leary, the president of SACBO Giovanni Sanga, the Managing Director of SACBO Emilio Bellingardi, the president of the Italian Civil Aviation Authority Pierluigi Di Palma and local authority representatives. The official inauguration ceremony also saw the participation of the Mayors of Bergamo and Orio Al Serio, and numerous important guests.

Ryanair has invested more than 50 million euros in its 5 latest-generation maintenance hangars, which currently provide 250 highly paid jobs in the aeronautical engineering sector in Bergamo and the Lombardy region. These two new hangars will allow Ryanair to transfer a significant proportion of its internal maintenance of Boeing 737s to Bergamo, while the Ryanair fleet at Bergamo Airport will increase to 24 aircraft in summer 23 (an investment by Ryanair of more than 2 billion dollars in Lombardy).

“Ryanair has introduced a new model for air travel in Italy - stated the president of ENAC, the Italian Civil Aviation Authority Pierluigi Di Palma - and over the last 20 years at Bergamo, it has played a lead role in a revolution in air mobility. The city’s management company, SACBO, has become a driver for the local economy. In this context, ENAC can only stress the important role that it has played, 21 years ago, in granting the airport company the free extension of the airport concession for a further forty years, allowing the far-sighted managers to invest in the future and raise the traffic from 500,000 pax to the current 14 million. Today we celebrate twenty years of Ryanair’s base in Bergamo, the third most important airport in Europe for the low-cost airline. In short, it is a demonstration of how bureaucracy in Italy, when allowed to suitably regulate the market, can stimulate economic growth in the area, with important repercussions in employment both in terms of number and of professional quality. It is also a pleasure for me to recall the first positive meeting that I had with Michael O’Leary more than 20 years ago, when I was Director General of ENAC, the important role that the airline Ryanair has played since then in the civil aviation sector in Italy, and the growth that it has contributed to in terms of traffic, also transforming how millions of people travel. Discussions between ENAC and Ryanair management must continue to be constant, also in order to guarantee services that are in line with current regulations, with both parties convinced that passengers and their rights must be a cornerstone of the system”.

Inaugurazione dei 2 nuovi hangar Ryanair per la manutenzione presso l'aeroporto di Milano Bergamo. Foto: Copyright © Avion Tourism Magazine.

Ryanair continues to grow and invest in Italy, where for summer 23 it will be basing 98 aircraft, providing support for more than 3,000 direct jobs in its bases and its 30 Italian airports. In 2023, Ryanair plans to transport more than 56 million passengers to and from Italy, thus consolidating its position as number one in the Italian market.

“Twenty years ago, Ryanair opened its operational base here, and over time it has become the most important in its network in continental Europe - stated Giovanni Sanga, president of SACBO - the story of Ryanair at Bergamo Airport is one of a shared success, the result of a common vision that has led to growth in terms of size and quality”.

“The inauguration of the two new hangars, which join the three existing structures and are destined for maintenance of Ryanair aircraft, serves as a definitive confirmation of the partnership between SACBO, Bergamo Airport and the airline - stressed Emilio Bellingardi, the Managing Director of SACBO - This new and significant investment by Ryanair is the forbearer of an even longer lasting relationship, confirming the success of the current collaboration”.

Michael O’Leary of Ryanair said: “As the number one airline in Italy, where this year we plan to increase our traffic to 56 million passengers, Ryanair is delighted to welcome the deputy prime minister Salvini to Bergamo, our largest Italian base, where we have invested more than 2 billion dollars, with 24 aircraft based here. This further investment worth 20 million euros for the two new hangars for maintenance, and the creation of more than 100 new jobs in the aircraft maintenance sector, underlines Ryanair’s commitment in Bergamo, in Lombardy and in Italy in general. We are extremely grateful to our partners at Bergamo Airport and for the leadership and the vision demonstrated by the Managing Director Emilio Bellingardi and his team, who continue to work in close contact with Ryanair to guarantee increased growth in Bergamo, in Lombardy and in Italy”.

BGY Airport Granfondo

One month before BGY Airport Granfondo, due to take place on Sunday 14 May 2023, starting and finishing in the heart of Bergamo, Milan Bergamo Airport is preparing to welcome the participants of the event for cycling enthusiasts from one of the 39 countries connected with direct flights.

Participants of BGY Airport Granfondo will be able to take advantage of the services offered by the first Bike Friendly airport in Europe, in particular the bike room, which is situated in the arrivals area of the terminal and set up for technical and logistic support.

BGY Airport Granfondo. Foto archivio: Copyright © Marco Quaranta - Ufficio Stampa G.M.S. Comitato Organizzatore.

The traditional Granfondo, a spring event that for more than 25 years has brought cycling enthusiasts from all over the world to the streets of Bergamo, has enthusiastically partnered with BGY airport precisely thanks to the attention focused on the world of cycling with a view to multimodal travel.

Those arriving from regions in central and northern Italy, as well as from bordering areas will be able to take advantage of the bike room in Milan Bergamo Airport, before reaching the start line of the event in the vicinity of the Gewiss Stadium and the Lazzaretto, in the heart of the city of Bergamo.

The partnership between BGY Airport, which has been voted as the best airport in Europe in the 5-to-15-million-passenger category, and the Granfondo promises to see a unique spectacle of cycling and of colour in the year of “Bergamo Brescia Capital of Culture”.

The BGY Airport Granfondo will take place over three routes (89.4, 128.8 and 162.1 km), suitable for all cycling enthusiasts and all types of bicycle.

All the information regarding enrolments and regulations is available on the website: www.granfondobgy

SACBO PUBLISHES A NEW CALL

FOR TENDER WORTH 4.5 MILLION EUROS

FOR ENVIRONMENTAL MITIGATION WORKS IN THE AREA SURROUNDING THE AIRPORT

The SACBO Board of Directors has approved the publication of a new call for tender for environmental mitigation works to be carried out on residential properties in the area surrounding the airport, allocating the sum of 4.5 million euros. This will be the fourth call for tender published by the airport management company, and forms part of the multi-year programme aimed at favouring environmental compatibility between the activities related to air traffic and the surrounding area. Close collaboration with Municipal Administrations led to the identification of the areas that qualify for the works in the territory of Bergamo, Orio Al Serio, Grassobbio, Seriate, Bagnatica and Brusaporto.

Giovanni Sanga Presidente dell'aeroporto di Milano Bergamo. Foto: Copyright © Sacbo Spa.

“SACBO has chosen to publish the new call for tender in line with the 2015-2030 Airport Development Programme, which has been approved in terms of Environmental Compatibility with Legislative Decree for the Assessment of Environmental Impact 238 (DEC/VIA/238), as a continuation of previous mitigation works carried out on homes in the area surrounding the airport - explained Giovanni Sanga, president of SACBO -. These actions are part of the airport management policy, which sees the territory as a resource that plays an active role in development, and are in line with the other initiatives implemented with regards to the airport, both in terms of green and digital transition, and in collaboration with airlines in terms of renewing fleets with latest-generation aircraft characterised by reduced consumption and acoustic impact”.

“It should be highlighted that our airport is a specific national case study for having introduced criteria for proactive environmental mitigation works, involving the Municipalities affected and entrusting assessment to the most competent scientific organisations - added the president of SACBO - All of this forms part of a general commitment to sustainability, which represents a fundamental part of the management budget, and to ensuring that the relative benefits are passed on to the local territory”.

The Html digital edition of Avion Tourism Magazine enables anyone to read the contents published on any device and access the website pages and multimedia content. It can be read vertically, scrolling the articles DESTINATIONS, AIRPORTS, AIRLINES, NEWS & USEFUL INFO and horizontally, passing directly from one item to another in the navigation menu found under the header or by clicking on the BLUE ARROWS < >. After reading the in-depth articles proposed, you can return to the Html digital version of the magazine by clicking on the relevant key "RETURN TO AVION TOURISM MAGAZINE". During offline reading mode, it will not be possible to access the multimedia content and in-depth articles of the magazine, which will become available again as soon as the connection is restored.