Commercial passenger traffic at Rome's Ciampino airport will soon be reduced from 138 flights to 100, it was announced on Monday.
The reduction in flights will result in one million fewer passengers a year using the airport, explained Transport Minister Alessandro Bianchi.
Almost all of the flights will be re-routed to Rome's main airport in Fiumicino, Leonardo da Vinci International Airport
Ciampino is a military airport which is also used for low-cost flights, private executive jet services and official state flights.
The announcement of changes at Rome's second most important airport was made after a meeting hosted at the transportation ministry by Bianchi which included Rome Mayor Walter Veltroni, Lazio Region President Piero Marrazzo and the president of the province of Rome, Enrico Gasbarra.
This was a follow up to a similar meeting last March 20, when it was decided to set up a work group to examine solutions to the air traffic crisis at Ciampino.
"At a later date we will set up another work group to determine where a third regional airport can be created for the budget flights," Bianchi added.
"In the meantime, we will look for an alternative runway for the executive flights, which will most likely be the Urbe airport, once it is ready to host them," the minister said.
Urbe airport is located within the Rome city limits and is currently used most for small private aircraft. At present is being renovated to be able to welcome jets and larger aircraft.
Veltroni said after Monday's meeting that "we still don't know what impact the flight reduction will have on employment and the tourism sector. It is for this reason that the best solution would be to transfer the flights to Fiumicino".
According to the mayor, "the government has made a commitment to limit the number of slots available at Ciampino, reduce the number of commercial flights from 138 to 100, to find an alternative for executive and state flights and build a new airport for low-cost airlines which is well connected with the capital to meet travellers' needs".
One possible location for a new airport is the air force base in Latina, south of Rome, which is about 45 minutes from the city by car and 30 minutes by express train.
