Irish budget airline Ryanair on Wednesday won an important ruling at Italy's highest administrative court against a planned cutback of flights at Rome's second airport Ciampino.
The Council of State took up Ryanair's appeal after it was rejected by a regional administrative court (TAR) in Rome.
The Council of State decision put on hold a reduction of flights at Ciampino ordered by Italy's national aviation authority ENAC and set to begin this month.
The court accepted Ryanair's argument that the cutbacks were prejudicial and would seriously damage the low cost carrier.
ENAC decided earlier this year to cut flights at Ciampino from 138 to 100 because of excessive noise at the airport and the need to revamp its runways.
Ryanair responded by filing a suit against ENAC on the grounds that, in the words of company CEO Michael O'Leary, the reduction was "nothing less than the latest illegal attempt by ENAC and the Italian government to limit the growth of low-cost carriers in a bid to protect (national carrier) Alitalia".
Italian authorities, he added, "are once again trying to keep the terminally ill Alitalia live by blocking low cost flights and competitors".
In regards to ENAC's justification for the cutbacks, O'Leary said the noise problem at Ciampino was caused by military and not commercial air traffic at the airport, while runways could be renovated with the airport open.
The proposed cutbacks, O'Leary observed, would affect 66 out of Ryanair's 550 weekly flights or 12% of its Rome traffic.
It would also cause the loss of 500,000 passengers a year, 500 jobs and 125 million euros, he claimed.
In court, Ryanair found itself not only against ENAC but also against the town of Ciampino, the consumer rights group Codacons, the environmental association Legambiente and the Lazio regional government.
