Lugano Airport: Positive discussions are underway
"Although I am optimistic about it - said the mayor of Lugano Marco Borradori last September, when presenting the conditions for transferring the management of the Agno airport to private individuals - today scheduled flights to Lugano cannot be imagined, but tomorrow who knows’: on Wednesday the Friends of the Airport informed the delegates of the City of Lugano that they had concluded an agreement in principle for a partnership with the Luxembourg-based Luxaviation Group with the aim of establishing scheduled flights. direct from Lugano to Geneva and Bern. This is on proviso should they be chosen to manage the Lugano airport and winning the contract against the other six competitors. The opening of commercial aviation was one of key objectives in the call for interest: "But it is not a preferential element".
On Geneva and Bern
Amici dell'A Aeroporto is a consortium made up of Ceresia Holding SA, a company 100% owned by Sir Lindsay Owen-Jones, the lead partner (represented by the lawyer Giovanna Masoni Brenni) and Investindustrial Services SA, a company part of the Investindustrial group headed by the family Bonomi (represented by the lawyer Fabio Soldati). The consortium officially presented itself last week, stating among other things that the proposal was not "a real estate promotion, but a project that aims to consolidate and develop the airport reasonably and solidly". A proposal that was partially substantiated yesterday, when the consortium announced the agreement in principle with Luxaviation, one of the largest operators of business aircraft and helicopters in the world (1,300 employees) to activate two daily round-trip connections on Geneva and one on Bern. To begin with: "If successful, the list of destinations will be gradually extended, with the ambition of making Lugano a hub of reasonable size but connected to different destinations, integrated into the public and private transport network" read the note. Luxaviation holds an AOC (Air operator certificate) for Switzerland.
Sir Owen-Jones declared: ‘Luxaviation is a group of great quality, leader in its sector. We are convinced that this partnership represents a valuable solution for Lugano Airport and the region. With the King Air 350 and 250, travelers can reach Geneva and Bern in less than an hour: this represents an efficient solution and also an excellent response to their professional and private needs’. The press release continues: ‘It is a direct response to the need for an efficient and regular connection between the three Swiss business hubs, which does not exist today’.
The connection would be ensured through ‘new low-consumption, low-noise and CO2-emissions aircraft’, namely the 10-seat King Air 350 and the 8-seat King Air 250 developed by the US aeronautical company Beechcraft.
Real estate investments
The hearings of the competitors are still in progress (the City of Lugano expects to make its proposal by the end of the year)