Giuridico e Amministrativo

🏩 easyJet increased its capacity by 145% at Milan Linate with a second base, complementing Milan Malpensa. The base includes 5 aircraft, 22 routes (17 new), and 120 employees. Italy is easyJet's top continental market with over 21 million passengers a year, 260 routes, a fleet of 38 aircraft, and 4 bases. New summer 2025 destinations from Linate include Figari, Ibiza, Tenerife, and Split, with Gran Canaria coming in autumn. Since 2006, easyJet contributed €8.5 billion to Lombardy's economy. EasyJet leads at Sea Milan Airports with efficient narrowbody aircraft at Linate, limited to 18 movements per hour.

💵 Starting April, the Bank of Spain is withdrawing particularly damaged €50 notes, affecting tourists who may find their cash unusable in stores. Travelers to Spain, especially during Holy Week, are advised to replace damaged €50 bills at their banks before departure. The initiative aims to increase cash security and prevent counterfeiting.

🏨 Luton Airport approved by the UK Government to increase capacity to 32 million passengers annually by 2043, up from the current 19 million. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander highlighted the expansion's economic benefits, including new jobs. Following Luton becoming Jet2.com and Jet2holidays' 13th UK base, the airport expects to generate an additional £1.5 billion annually and create up to 11,000 new jobs.

🖤 Antonio Barreca, Director General of Federturismo, commented on the impact of Trump's tariffs on Italy's tourism economy, stating there is no concern yet. Assessments will be made post-summer to understand the tariffs' effects on tourism. Despite a slowdown in arrivals for the Jubilee, spring bookings appear promising, with expectations to catch up by June and grow in the summer.

🏠 Spain officially closed its Golden Visa program on April 3, ending the chance for non-EU citizens to gain residency through financial investments. Operational since 2013, the program issued 14,576 residencies, 95% of which were for real estate purchases with a minimum investment of €500,000. The closure was primarily due to housing cost increases in major cities like Madrid and Barcelona, influenced by foreign investment. Top beneficiaries were from China, the USA, and the UK.

🚩 Antonio Barreca, director of Federturismo, remarks no concern over potential impacts of Trump's tariffs on Italian tourism economy. A decline in arrivals for the Jubilee is noted, but spring bookings look promising, with expectations to recover by June and grow in the summer. The effects of tariffs on tourism will be clearer post-summer.

💸 London Heathrow Airport experienced a blackout last month, forcing a one-day closure. Following criticism of the emergency response, Heathrow introduced a plan including more airport partners for assistance and backup mobile phones.

✈ Russian airlines are set to decommission at least 200 Airbus and Boeing aircraft, which is about 30% of their roughly 700 Western-made planes, due to a lack of spare parts resulting from sanctions after the Ukraine invasion. These aircraft also require mandatory modifications as per FAA and EASA directives, but sanctions prevent the import of the necessary parts. Currently, only 10% of Russian flights are operated with local aircraft, with hopes to increase the production of MS-21 and SJ-100 models, though none have been received by airlines yet.

🏘 Campania aims to increase tourism from 21 to 40 million yearly, focusing on vacation rentals to achieve this. Naples alone has 9,200 registered short-term rental businesses. Confesercenti's president, Vincenzo Schiavo, targets to double these numbers throughout the Naples province and expand entrepreneurial access to vacation rentals across Campania's provinces, potentially supporting over 100,000 families.

🚨 Ryanair lost its legal battle against the EU's grant of €650 million (€400 million loan and €250 million capital injection) to LOT Polish Airlines to recover from the Covid crisis. The European Court of Justice upheld the EU Commission's decision, ruling that the Commission did not make a manifest error in assuming LOT couldn't find accessible market financing.