Neos Air, the third largest Italian airline by the size of its fleet, is interested in starting non-stop flights connecting Palermo, the capital of the Italian region of Sicily, with New York. The news was initially published by the Italpress news agency.
“We are waiting for some answers from Palermo to make a decision,” Neos CEO Carlo Stradiotti told the news agency in an article reporting on the airline’s prospects.
The news comes after Vito Riggio, CEO of GESAP, the company that manages Palermo airport, will confirm at the beginning of the month negotiations with an airline to carry out a flight on that route. The executive then stated that “we have presented a proposal to a major airline for the return of the route to New York. The answer should arrive in a few days, and we hope it will be positive.”
The route was previously operated by Eurofly (and its later iteration, Meridiana) between 2005 and 2018, remembers TravelQuotidiano, an Italian travel news website. In 2019, United Airlines announced daily flights that connected its hub in Newark with Palermo, but the flight was never operated due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on aviation.
– Advertisement –
Neos is an airline focused on leisure travel, belonging to AlpiTour, one of the main tour operators in Italy. In recent years, the company has tried to diversify its network, especially with low-frequency routes in long-distance segments. Neos long-haul network (>5000km) in the fourth quarter of 2024, according to Cirium’s Diio Mi app. Map generated with the Great Circle Mapper.
The airline closed 2022 with revenues of EUR573 million, according to Italpress. According to Stradiotti, for the current financial year, which ends on October 31, 2023, Neos aims to reach EUR750 million.
Neos currently operates a fleet of five Boeing 737-800s, four 737 MAX 8s and six Boeing 787-9s, according to Planespotters.net. For next year, the airline plans to eliminate one 737-800 and add four 737 MAX 8s, according to Italpress.
2023-09-29 23:55:55
#Neos #close #nonstop #connection #Palermo #York
