Blue Wings Air (Foggia Gino Lisa) has deferred the launch of its planned Milan Malpensa to Foggia Gino Lisa service until December 1. The flights were originally scheduled to have launched on October 27.
According to the Rodi Garganico news site, owing to the Italian government having downgraded Foggia airport's status to provincial, all scheduled operators using the airport must now pay for all emergency services on an ad-hoc basis. This has forced Blue Wings Air to incur an additional expense of EUR1000 (USD1250) for each and every flight. In addition, it will also have to reschedule the flights based on availability of ground staff and air traffic control officers who now man the airfield from 08h30 to 16h30.
At this point in time, it is uncertain as to who will partner the virtual carrier when the flights eventually launch. Sources who spoke to ch-aviation state Air Vallée (Rimini) abandoned the venture citing Blue Wings Air's failure to comply with contractual obligations regarding ticket sales.
Air Vallée was to have provided Blue Wings Air capacity using its Fokker 50, wet-leased from Sweden's Amapola Flyg (HP, Stockholm Arlanda).
