Mareddu: “We work very closely with the airlines, as well as with our regional tourism board on the promotion and marketing of routes. We carry out all sorts of marketing and promotional activities, such as the organisation of press trips, educational tours and press conferences.”
The airport has capacity to accommodate 4-5 million passengers per year and therefore has sufficient scope to increase its business. Mareddu explained that the next important expansion plan will be completed within the next two months, delivering a brand new terminal dedicated to General Aviation, as well as a new aircraft parking area for private jets. The airport’s runway was refurbished less than two years ago.
“Cagliari Airport has a very important role in the social and economic growth of Sardinia and not just because we are one of the largest companies in the Sardinian region, but because we are conscious that our actions and our strategy have a direct and substantial impact on the regional economy,” said Mareddu. “We represent the main tourist gateway not only to Cagliari but to the whole Sardinian region. Every year we look after millions of passengers. Consequently, we play an important and strategic role in the development of the tourism industry of our region and therefore contribute to the creation of important incomes and job creation as a result of these tourist flows.”
Route development strategy
Cagliari Airport’s route development strategy is based on five core principles:
- To consolidate its existing business with its existing airlines;
- To distribute traffic flows during the entire year in order to achieve de-seasonalisation objectives;
- To maintain and diversify the portfolio of airlines operating at the airport in order to avoid any type of monopolistic pressure;
- To open new point-to-point routes which can develop primarily inbound traffic flows; and
- Try to avoid the building of aggressive competition among carriers operating at the airport, although ensuring a healthy and balanced competitive environment by guiding them into markets that do not excessively overlap other existing services.
Mareddu: “Cagliari Airport has a very important role in the social and economic growth of Sardinia and not just because we are one of the largest companies in the Sardinian region, but because we are conscious that our actions and our strategy have a direct and substantial impact on the regional economy.”
“We work very closely with the airlines, as well as with our regional tourism board on the promotion and marketing of routes. We carry out all sorts of marketing and promotional activities, such as the organisation of press trips, educational tours and press conferences. Apart from investments in traditional advertising solutions – newspapers, magazines, billboards, etc – we also invest highly in web marketing activities,” explained Mareddu.
The airport’s ambitions include a general traffic increase of 4.5% per year for the next 5 to 10 years, an increase especially in the low-cost traffic and general aviation industry and Mareddu has also identified an increased need to diversify and boost non-aeronautical revenues. If all that wasn’t enough, Cagliari Airport will also host two big events in May – the Routes Europe conference (8 to 10 May) and ACI EUROPE’s 4th Annual Regional Airports conference and exhibition (9 to 11 May).
