29 April 2020

COVID-19: Interview with the General Manager of Genoa Airport Piero Righi

"Safety and livability of the infrastructure will be the watchwords to define the new normal of airports"

Avion Tourism Magazine proposes, during the Covid-19 pandemic, a series of interviews with the CEOs and/or General Managers of Italian airports to understand how they are carrying out their work in these critical days of health emergency, to give a space and a voice to their stories and initiatives And, above all, to know what strategies will be adopted to make passenger transit at the airport safer and how the air transport sector is evolving .

GENOA Airport

Interview with the General Manager of Genoa Airport Piero Righi

Piero Righi Direttore Generale Aeroporto di Genova. Foto: © Aeroporto di Genova.

Piero Righi, General Manager of Genoa Airport. Photo: © Genoa Airport.

Can you tell us how your work has changed as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and how the work at Genoa Airport has changed and been organized?

"The emergency has naturally changed the priorities of the management companies. While until a few weeks ago our efforts were focused on the development of the aviation offer, now the main goal is to overcome the crisis, maintaining the company perimeter and internal skills, while preparing for the restart.

The fact that the airport has remained open, on the instructions of the Ministry of Transport, is certainly an advantage, but also a very high cost: the engine runs at idle, with only one scheduled flight a day, but it has remained running.

We have also provided assistance to numerous special flights organized for the repatriation of cruise passengers disembarked in Genoa, about 2,000 people in recent weeks. The airport has confirmed its role as a public service provider also in assisting state flights, medical flights, and transporting medical personnel.

Now we are working to think about the transitional phase of a gradual return to a "new normal". We are already identifying solutions that allow us to operate in complete safety. During the emergency, we also continued the preparatory works for the expansion of the terminal and those of modernization, so that our airport is ready to intercept the recovery of traffic."

What measures have you taken to ensure the safety of all employees working at the airport?

"Distancing, mandatory masks, protective screens for check-in and ticketing desks for employees who have to work on site, teleworking for administrative staff. We also distributed washable masks to be used outside the work shift. Of course, we have also strengthened the sanitization of the premises and the distribution of hydroalcoholic gel for the hands."

After the lockdown, without prejudice to the application of the protocols that will be provided by the competent authorities, how do you think you can guarantee and strengthen health safety for passengers, in the various areas of your airport, so that they can return to travel with peace of mind?

"We are working on the concept of a 'safe airport', a place where travellers can feel at ease. The size of our stopover, a regional City Airport, will certainly help us. Like other airports, we are thinking about reviewing passenger flows in order to avoid gatherings, the different use of areas, automated temperature and distancing checks. We are identifying partners who will help us to make the airport fully compliant with the protocols that will be indicated by the authorities, and also to do something more. The relationship of constant dialogue with our business partners, airlines and sub-licensees, will be even more vital."

As a result of this pandemic, what do you think will be the substantial changes in the way we travel in Italy and around the world and how will the air transport sector evolve?

"The changes are simple: travel has been reduced to almost zero. Our traffic has dropped by more than 90%. As I said, in recent weeks our role has been more of a public service than commercial. We have allowed the accessibility of our region, the return home of many Ligurians who were abroad at the outbreak of the pandemic, but also the repatriation of cruise passengers and seafarers, business trips for those who had absolute urgency to move and travel for the families of children hospitalized at the Gaslini pediatric hospital. The evolution of the coming months will be of a return to travel, but the unknown remains of the timing and requirements for management companies and carriers. Then there is the big question about the demand for airline tickets, which will be conditioned by travel restrictions and the economic impact of this emergency. Those with work needs will resume flying, while for tourism, especially international tourism, longer times are expected. We think that already in the early summer months, between the end of May and the beginning of June, we can see a slow return of national traffic. In this key, having the Volotea base in Genoa, which connects Genoa to Naples, Catania, Palermo, Lamezia Terme, Brindisi, Cagliari, Olbia and Alghero represents a strong point, together with the presence of Alitalia's connection with Rome. I repeat: the fact that we have remained open and fully operational has allowed us to prepare and work for the restart."

What message would you like to send to all passengers who, after the lockdown, will resume flying by choosing Genoa Airport?

"For us, the key concept, which I have already mentioned, is that of a 'safe airport'. We want those who decide to fly to and from our airport to find a structure that meets 100% health requirements, but at the same time guarantees a high level of hospitality, functionality and quality of service. We work to identify solutions that allow you to travel in a pleasant way and at the same time in full protection of the health of passengers and staff. Combining these two aspects, safety and livability of the infrastructure, will be the watchword to define the "new normal" of airports. We have already experienced it in the aftermath of September 11, 2001. At the time we were conditioned by the "security" aspect, while today the new priority, which obviously goes hand in hand with the first, is health "safety". The gradual resumption of traffic will allow us to implement all safety measures dynamically, improving and adapting them to operational needs as the numbers grow again. We are the City Airport of Liguria and Lower Piedmont: our goal is that those who choose the "Cristoforo Colombo", whether they are departing residents or arriving tourists, can feel as safe as at home."

Curated by Angela Trivigno

Avion Tourism Magazine

Visual: Sisterscom.com / Mario Hagen / Shutterstock