EasyJet to boost presence at Italy's airports following ITA-Lufthansa deal

EasyJet is set to boost its presence at Milan Linate and Rome Fiumicino airports, benefiting from a package of remedies the European Union required to approve a tie-up between Lufthansa and ITA Airways. Starting from March, easyJet will base five additional planes at Linate and three at Fiumicino, taking its country total to 38 and making Italy its second largest market after Britain, the company said during a news conference in Milan. The new routes will connect Linate with Vienna, Brussels and Frankfurt. Routes to Hamburg, Frankfurt, Munich, Zurich and Brussels will be available from Fiumicino. The European Commission last month approved remedies proposed for Lufthansa's acquisition of a 41% stake in state-owned ITA for E325m, a deal designed to boost the German carrier's presence in Italy. Lufthansa and the Italian government had to agree on commitments to safeguard competition, including ceding slots at Linate so that easyJet could start short-haul flights from Rome and Milan to certain airports in Central Europe. EasyJet's Italy country manager Lorenzo Lagorio said his company still wanted to grow in Malpensa, Milan's main airport. "Malpensa is and remains easyJet's main base and hub in Italy where we have 22 aircraft based. We will have 6.3m seats from next summer and Malpensa remains the airport where we want to continue to grow," he said.<br/>