ITA Airways will maintain public service obligation (PSO) flights connecting Alghero in Sardinia to Milan Linate Airport until 31 January 2027, following an announcement by the Sardinian regional government on 6 October 2026. The interim arrangement was triggered after a public tender launched on 31 July failed to attract any bids from airlines. The unawarded tender featured a maximum budget of 37.7 million euros and was designed to cover operations until 24 March 2029. To prevent any disruption on this territorial continuity link between the northwestern island region and Italy's economic hub, the state-owned successor to Alitalia agreed to continue scheduled operations without interruption. Sardinian authorities indicated that a revised tender procedure will be prepared immediately to reassign the contract from 1 February 2027. This procurement void reflects persistent structural difficulties affecting territorial continuity services, driven by escalating operating expenditures for fuel and crew alongside mandatory price ceilings for island residents, prompting regional business groups to urge authorities to review tender conditions and raise compensation levels.
Why it matters for your training
PSO frameworks govern critical regional operations and schedule stability, directly influencing fleet deployment, crew scheduling, and line-flying patterns across European regional sectors.
