Ryanair curbs investment in holiday capital despite expected record visitors
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The Jubilee, a Holy Year for Roman Catholics, is expected to bring up to 32 million tourists. Ryanair has said it would remove an aircraft from Rome Fiumicino and curb expansion at the Italian capital’s second airport due to rising costs and flight restrictions.
![[Passengers crowd the International flights departure terminal of Rome’s Fiumicino airport]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/07/19/11/Italy_Worldwide_Internet_Outage_26888.jpg)
The news comes as the city braces for an influx of additional tourists in a Jubilee year. The carrier has long argued with Italian authorities over fees and regulatory issues. It said in a statement that airport costs were set to increase by 15% in Fiumicino and 44% in Ciampino by 2028, with local taxes also on the rise.
“These restrictive policies are damaging connectivity, tourism and jobs in Italy, particularly in Rome, where enhanced air connectivity is needed to support inbound tourism during the Jubilee year,” said Ryanair, the largest operator in the Italian market.
The Jubilee, a Holy Year for Roman Catholics, is expected to bring up to 32 million tourists to the Italian capital in 2025 according to the Vatican. That will put a severe strain on the city’s infrastructure and transport links, including airports.
It has undergone two years of traffic-clogging public works upgrades of transportation, hospital emergency rooms and other vital services, testing residents’ patience. But only about a third of the 323 projects have been completed, and the city is already groaning under the weight of overtourism. Visitors have returned to Italy in droves following COVID-19, and the explosion of short-term vacation rentals has exacerbated a housing crisis.
