Meridiana (Olbia) will take delivery of ten B737NextGens next year as part of a larger order of twenty CEO Bob Scaramella told Italy's IlSole24 newspaper this week. The aircraft are part of the airline's restructuring plan aimed at driving down costs through the use of a young, homogeneous fleet.

The new Boeing machines will replace the carrier's ageing fleet of nine MD-82s, one MD-83 and five A320-200s.

In terms of its network, Meridiana intends to focus its operations on three local Italian airports - Olbia, Naples Capodichino and Milan Malpensa.

Backed by the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED), Meridiana is also in difficult talks with its unions over the proposed laying off of 1'600 of its staff.