Rome, 12 August (LaPresse) – “It is not the volcano that is out of place, but the airport,” said Nello Musumeci, Minister for Civil Protection and Maritime Policy. “What is happening at the moment at Catania and Comiso airports – with cancellations, delays and severe disruption for thousands of citizens and tourists in the middle of the summer season – brings to the fore a problem that Sicily has long been familiar with. I am not recalling this to lay claim to being the first to raise the issue, nor to stir up controversy, but simply to invite everyone to reflect on the matter. As far back as 1999, as president of the Province of Catania, I had highlighted the limitations of Fontanarossa Airport and its particular vulnerability due to its proximity to Mount Etna. We did not merely raise the issue: we included a proposal to relocate the airport in the Provincial Spatial Plan; we also commissioned a preliminary study for a new airport on the plain between Catania and Enna, designed to serve seven out of nine provinces. My idea found no support. Almost thirty years have passed since then; air traffic and tourist numbers have grown enormously, whilst the consequences of Mount Etna’s eruptions continue to periodically affect the operations of the eastern airports and, in terms of reputation, make them unattractive in terms of mobility and accessibility. “I revisited the issue as President of the Region, only to face hostility from the airport management company and indifference from the local authorities concerned,” explains Musumeci. “It is not a question today of arguing that my initiative must necessarily be revived exactly as it was conceived back then. But it is hard to deny that recent events demonstrate one thing: it is not the volcano that is out of place, but the airport. I believe the problem exists and deserves serious, forward-thinking consideration in the planning of major infrastructure projects, with a long-term vision. It is simply a matter of deciding what role Sicily should play in the future of growing air travel,” he concludes.
Etna, Musumeci: ‘It’s not the volcano that’s out of place, but the airport’
Rome, 12 August (LaPresse) – “It is not the volcano that is out of place, but the airport,” said Nello Musumeci, Minister for Civil Protection and Maritime Policy. “What is happening at the moment at Catania and Comiso airports – with cancellations, delays and severe disruption for thousands of citizens and tourists in the middle of the summer season – brings to the fore a problem that Sicily has long been familiar with. I am not recalling this to lay claim to being the first to raise the issue, nor to stir up controversy, but simply to invite everyone to reflect on the matter. As far back as 1999, as president of the Province of Catania, I had highlighted the limitations of Fontanarossa Airport and its particular vulnerability due to its proximity to Mount Etna. We did not merely raise the issue: we included a proposal to relocate the airport in the Provincial Spatial Plan; we also commissioned a preliminary study for a new airport on the plain between Catania and Enna, designed to serve seven out of nine provinces. My idea found no support. Almost thirty years have passed since then; air traffic and tourist numbers have grown enormously, whilst the consequences of Mount Etna’s eruptions continue to periodically affect the operations of the eastern airports and, in terms of reputation, make them unattractive in terms of mobility and accessibility. “I revisited the issue as President of the Region, only to face hostility from the airport management company and indifference from the local authorities concerned,” explains Musumeci. “It is not a question today of arguing that my initiative must necessarily be revived exactly as it was conceived back then. But it is hard to deny that recent events demonstrate one thing: it is not the volcano that is out of place, but the airport. I believe the problem exists and deserves serious, forward-thinking consideration in the planning of major infrastructure projects, with a long-term vision. It is simply a matter of deciding what role Sicily should play in the future of growing air travel,” he concludes.