ABD Holding has offered to set up a new regional carrier based out of Bolzano/Bozen as a part of its offer to take over the management of the airport, Alto Adige has reported.
The details of the offer are still confidential, although they have to be revealed publicly and are subject to a debate by the February 22 deadline. The local newspaper reported, citing two sources, that the offer would entail a financial commitment for the airport and a business plan for the management of the facility going forward. The second part also includes the setting up of a local carrier.
The prospective airline would operate either ATR72 or Dash 8-400 turboprops out of the capital of the autonomous German-speaking South Tyrol. It would operate as a low-cost carrier with a strong emphasis on punctuality and low fares at high load factors.
Initially, the new airline would fly 2x daily to Rome and at least daily to another hub within the European Union, most likely Frankfurt International, Munich, or Vienna. In addition, ABD Holding eyes intra-regional flights in Italy, such as to Aosta, and summer charter flights.
In terms of the airport management, ABD Holding reportedly offered to restructure the company, shed inefficiencies associated with the current public ownership, and extend the runway to accommodate larger types of aircraft.
According to the ch-aviation capacity module, Bolzano currently sees no scheduled air traffic. The nearest airport with regular flights is Innsbruck, located some 90 kilometres to the north across the border in Austria.
ABD Holding has been set up specifically for the acquisition of the airport by three entrepreneurs, Josef Gostner, Hans Peter Haselsteiner, and René Benko.
