Ryanair Flights to Alghero and Rome from £5.00

Ryanair has again special offers to Alghero and other Italian destinations. 5£ Fares include taxes & charges.
Booking Period: Mon 01st Dec 08 - Tue 09th Dec 08
Travel Period: Mon 15th Dec 08 - Sat 28th Feb 09
Applicable Days: Mon - Thurs & Sat (subject to availability)
Flight must be purchased: 14 Days in advance
Blackout Period: 18th Dec '08 - 05th Jan '09
12th Feb '09 - 23rd Feb '09 to/from IRE/UK

As always with Ryanair offers, all Holidays, School Breaks and Major Sporting Events are excluded from this offer
http://www.ryanair.com/site/EN/cheapflights.php?dest=AAR&base=STN

Ryanair cancelled flights from Rome Ciampino Airport, Pisa Airport and Treviso Venice Airport for fog

Ryanair regrets that due to adverse weather conditions the following flights to Sardinia have been cancelled.

03/12/2008:
FR8854 Rome Ciampino Alghero (1025- 1125hrs)
FR9926 Pisa- Alghero (1200-1310hrs)

FR9935 Pisa- Cagliari (1530- 1645hrs)
FR9936 Cagliari- Pisa (1710- 1820hrs)

04/12/2008:
FR9935 Pisa-Cagliari (0630-0745hrs)

Customers booked on any of these flights may rebook free of charge, using the web link below. Flights can be changed, via this link up to the 09/12/2008. Customers can rebook to travel on flights, subject to availability, up to the 16/12/2008.
Click here to rebook your flights on line.
Alternatively, for customers who are booked on any of the below flights, who wish to cancel and claim a full refund on the unused flight(s) please click on the link below and enter the required details. Refunds will be processed in 7 working days back to the form of payment used to pay for the booking.
http://schchng.ryanair.com/refweb.asp
Ryanair apologises for the inconvenience caused by these flights disruptions.

Sit in of Labour Unions block Alghero Airport

Members of the Labour Unions Cgil, Cisl and Uil have blocked Alghero Feritlia airport for a few hours yesterday to protest against the closure of Petrochimical Industry facilities at Porto Torres, Northern Sardinia. The block of the airport lasted from 9.30 alle 11.30 and caused delays ofAir One flights to Milan Linate and Rome Fuminicino.

Read article on Unione Sarda (Italian)

Saint-Exupéry in Alghero: The French author landed in Alghero-Fertilia in 1944

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, the author of all-time bestseller The little prince, landed 1944 on Alghero Fertilia airport as part of the French troops in World war II., just two months before he died in an accident.
Saint Exupéry, along with his navigator, André Prévot, crashed in the Libyan Sahara desert en route to Saigon in 1935. The team was attempting to fly from Paris to Saigon faster than any previous aviators, for a prize of 150,000 francs. Both survived the landing, but were faced with the prospect of rapid dehydration in the Sahara. Saint Exupéry's famous fable The Little Prince, which begins with a pilot being marooned in the desert, is in part a reference to this experience.

In 1944, however, the French author spent some time at Fertilia airport before being transferred to the French Island of Corsica. Saint Exupéry's final assignment was to collect intelligence on German troop movements in and around the Rhone Valley preceding the Allied invasion of southern France. On the evening of July 31, 1944, he left from an airbase on Corsica, and was never seen again. A woman reported having watched a plane crash around noon of August the first near the Bay of Carqueiranne off Toulon. An unidentifiable body wearing French colors was found several days later and buried in Carqueiranne that September.

The Exma museum in Cagliari dedicates an exposition to Saint Exupéry's stay in Sardinia until January, 31st 2009

Read full article (Italian)

Airplane crash in Sardinia: desaster simulation at Alghero airport

A Boeing 737 from Italian carrier Air One, 50 staff on board, fire, emergency and all aiport staff trying to cope with an emergency situation: Allghero airport was the setting for an emergeny training of an airplane desaster at Sardinia's second largest airport Wednesday night. The “Full Scale Exercise” was prepared during emergency trainings during tha last year.
Read full article on Algheronotizie

Finding Spain in Alghero, Sardinia

It all sounds so romantic now. But as is often the case, this picture- postcard
Spanish enclave is the result of violent conquest. Originally peopled by native
Sardinians, Alghero was later ruled by the Doria shipping magnates of Genoa
before being conquered by the Spaniards in 1353. Spain so thoroughly stamped out
its previous occupants, today the town's language, food and culture are
considered more Catalan than Sardinian or Italian. In fact, Alghero was
primarily settled by people from Barcelona and Valencia. It's truly one of the
most authentic Spanish experiences in Italy.

Finding Spain in Alghero, Sardinia on Examiner.com

Ryanair appeals against EU decisions in the Commission’s ongoing State Aid investigations

Ryanair lodged appeals against eight separate EU decisions to block Ryanair access to documents in the Commission’s ongoing State Aid investigations against tiny regional airports - Hamburg (Lübeck), Berlin-Schönefeld, Tampere, Alghero, Pau, Aarhus, Bratislava and Frankfurt (Hahn).
Read the whole article on peanuts.aero

Air Malta launches winter schedule of operations and offers flights to Alghero

Air Malta launches winter schedule of operations, The Malta Independent reports:

Air Malta has launched its new winter schedule of operations running till 28
March, 2009. The schedule presents Air Malta customers travelling from the Malta
base with a choice of 30 direct destinations with over 110 flights every week.
(...)
Apart from its direct flights, the Maltese airline is also offering
other destinations and connections through its main code-share partners,
Lufthansa and Air One. Code-shares are a key initiative that the airline has
taken and are increasingly connecting Malta to offline markets. Through its
code-share partners Air Malta is now offering over 200 destinations in 85
countries and is synchronising its timetable with other carriers.The agreement
with Air One signed in August 2007, with whom Air Malta code-shares on Rome
Fiumicino, is giving Maltese passengers access to various Italian domestic
airports including Alghero, Bari, Brindisi, Cagliari, Genoa, Milan Linate, Turin
and Venice, via Rome.

Ryanair charges: Passengers still misled over hidden charges

The Telegraph reports today that Ryanair Passengers are still misled over hidden charges:

"Airlines will always quote the cheapest possible fare available at some point
during the dates specified – chances are that this price will not be available
on the day you want to fly,"

said Catriona Bright of What Consumer to Telegraph.
This is what the Irish low Cost Carrier commonly adds to ticket prices:

- Debit/credit card charges (per adult fare, per one-way flight): £4

- Seat allocation/priority boarding (per one-way flight): £6

- Airport check in (per one-way flight): £4

- Checked baggage (per bag, per one way flight): £8.00

- Infant fee (per infant, per one way flight): £16

- Sport equipment/musical instrument (per item, per one way flight): £25

- Call centre charges: 10p per minute

Read the entire article

Ryanair flight to Rome Ciampino cancelled today.

The runway at Rome Ciampino is still closed and will not reopen this evening, Ryanair reports.

Customers who are booked to travel on the below cancelled flights can rebook their flights free of charge, subject to availability, by clicking on the web link below. Customers can access this link up to the 17/11/2008 for travel on flights up to the 24/11/08.
https://www.bookryanair.com/SkySales/FRManageBooking.aspx?culture=EN-GB&pos=MYFLIGHT
Alternatively, customers booked on any of the below flights, who wish to cancel and claim a full refund on their unused flight(s) can click on the link below and enter the required details. Refunds will be processed in 14 working days back to the form of payment used to pay for the booking.
http://schchng.ryanair.com/refweb.asp

AP reports on the accident at Rome Ciampino airport earlier today:

Birds force Ryanair jet emergency landing in Rome
ROME (AP)
— A Ryanair flight from Frankfurt made an emergency landing at a Rome airport
Monday after birds hit the aircraft, aviation and airline officials company
said.
Three passengers and two crew members were taken to hospital with minor
injuries, Ryanair spokesman Stephen McNamara said.
The aircraft "suffered
multiple bird strikes" as it was approaching Ciampino airport, McNamara said.
Ryanair spokeswoman Pauline McAlester said the birds were sucked into the engine
as the aircraft was coming in to land.

Read more

Ryanair's airplanes planned to be hosted at Forlí will now fly from Trapani (Sicily)

Ryanair announced that from May 2009 it will base two aircraft at Trapani and confirmed that it will not open a base at Forli after the airport withdrew the agreement it had reached with Ryanair. Despite the decision not to operate from Forli, Ryanair's new Trapani base will create 2 new domestic and 3 new international routes to/from the island of Sicily.
Ryanair’s Forli routes were due to operate to/from Alghero, Bari, Cagliari, Lamezia, Olbia and Palermo from December. Passengers who were booked on these routes will receive a full refund.
More Info on peanuts.aero

Airone has to land in Olbia for the lack of radio controls in Alghero

An Airbus of the Italian company Airone had to be detoured to Olbia on Saturday, L'Unione Sarda reports. The couse for the detour were poor weather conditions and the lack of a radio control system that permits airplanes to land in Alghero in foggy conditions. The plane coming from Rome Fumicino airport tried to land twice, then decided to risk no further and asked landing permissions in Olbia. The radio control system in Alghero is out of order since spring 2008 and is only needed in scarse visibility conditions.

Danish low-cost airline Sterling, to file for bankruptcy

Danish-based low-cost carrier Sterling Airways said today it would file for bankruptcy after its cash-strapped Icelandic investors were unable keep the company airborne, the Guardian reported earlier today. Sterling connects Alghero airport to several Scandinavian destinations with charter flights as well as Olbia Costa Smeralda airport with regular flights to Copenhagen and Billund during the summer months.

Sterling adiveses its customers on their website today als follows:

Information to Sterling Passengers
Customers who have directly purchased their tickets on Sterling’s website will unfortunately not be refunded neither will their return flights. You therefore have to book your return flights with another airline company.
If you have paid for a flight by credit card, we advise you to contact your bank or credit card company to ask for a possible refund.
Customers who have booked their flights through a travel agency or tour operator should initially contact them.
Passengers who have booked their tickets through Sterling, but is flying with Norwegian, should contact Norwegian directly on one of the below phone numbers:
+47 21490015 (from outside Norway)
815 21 815 (from Norway)
Passengers currently staying abroad in hotels, or hiring a car through Sterling business partners, are still able to stay in their hotel or keep the hired car for the relevant period of time, as such services are paid for through our business partners and not Sterling. However as for your return flight, you will need to find alternatives
for your final destination.
Please note that if you have booked your travel/hotel/car through a travel agency or tour operator, please contact them upon your return for possible refund of expenses for your return flight.
We understand that most travel insurance does not protect holders from airline
insolvency but should you have taken insurance please contact your insurance
company for clarification. We will later put on a FAQ and hope that this will
help you in this very unfortunate situation.
Sterling Airlines A/S
29th
October 2008

Ryanair cancels Alghero-Bologna-Forlí connection

Ryanair might not launch the connection between Alghero - Bologna-Forlí any more. The first connection was scheduled for december 4th but the company might shut down its planned Forlí base, Alguer.it said. Flights are not bookable right now but chances are that Ryanair transfers the planned flights to Bologna's principal airport Marconi. Ryanair might close his Forlí base before even launching the new hub. As local Bologna newspapers report, the Sicilian Carrier Windjet might take over most of Rynair's planned activities.
Only recently Ryanair has closed its operational base in Valencia, Spain, following a dispute with the local council.

Alghero airport is suitable to the European Regulation on persons with reduced mobility (disabled persons)

Alghero airport (in Sardinia) has adopted the Regulation of the European Community issued last July 25 about persons with reduced mobility. A "Sala amica" is available in the airport, where travellers with reduced mobility receive assistance and can make help requests that arrive at four call points distributed on the airport, Avionews reported.
Eight skilled people with social operator licence and a first level training on airport security work on the airport in Northern Sardinia to give assistance to travellers flying into Alghero airport.

Please also note Ryanair's Terms and Conditions about

Reduced mobility, blind/vision impaired, Medical Conditions or Passengers requiring special assistance in the airport

(as of October 2008)

For safety reasons Ryanair can carry only a maximum of four passengers per flight who have either reduced mobility, or are blind/visually impaired travelling with a guide dog or alone or require special assistance at the airport. Such passengers (including in the case of those who are blind/vision impaired if travelling with a sighted companion) should notify Ryanair of their condition/requirements on the day of booking via your local Ryanair call centre. Failure to prebook may result in the service being unavailable on your arrival at the airport and your being refused carriage.
Ryanair for safety reasons does not permit passengers to bring their own oxygen on board. If oxygen is required for use during the flight it must be reserved for a fee of £100/€148 (or local currency equivalent) directly with Ryanair preferably on the same day of booking or at the latest 7 days prior to travel. Safety Regulations limit oxygen requests to one per flight. Passengers requiring oxygen must carry a letter from their doctor confirming that they are fit to travel and that the oxygen flow we provide is suitable for their patient. Passengers will not be accepted for travel without this letter.
If for medical reasons, passengers need to inject themselves during the flight (e.g. diabetics) they are permitted to carry syringes in the cabin. They will be asked to produce appropriate medical evidence (a doctor’s letter will suffice) when they check in or at security. This should be kept with them at all times.
Due to health and safety requirements special assistance passengers are required to check-in at the airport (any airport check-in fee paid on booking will be refunded at the time that the special services are booked).

Better Access to Sardinia: Ryanair opens new base in Alghero

Better Access to Sardinia from the north of England and Scotland: Ryanair opens two new bases in Alghero and Cagliari next year, linking Cagliari with Manchester and Edinburgh. The new base that will be opened in Alghero will not serve new UK and Ireland destinations.

However, the list of UK, Ireland and other European and Italian Ryanair connections is yet long: Flights into Alghero start from

• London Stansted
• East Midlands
• Liverpool
• Dublin
• Oslo
• Stockholm
• Bremen
• Düsseldorf/Weeze
• Frankfurt/Hahn
• Milan Orio al Serio
• Vencice
• Bologna-Forli
• Genoa
• Pisa
• Rome-Ciampino
• Brussels
• Paris
• Barcelona-Girona
• Madrid

Brief history of Alghero airport: From a military airport to a centre for low cost connections from Sardinia to the rest of Europe.

Alghero Airport was founded as a military airport during the second world war.In the 1960’s the first air terminal was build in an old hangar. Only in 1968, a proper air terminal was built up; in the 1970's the runway was enlarged from 2,200 metres to today’s length of 3,000 metres.
The airport for years also as a pilot training centre not only by Italian military but also Alitalia. In the 1980’s Alghero Airport became complete airport for civil use. Nowadays, numerous charter planes as well as international low cost carrier connections link Alghero to all mayor European centres
For more information on Alghero airport history see the official website.

Ryanair calls on European Commission to reduce regulatory burden also on Alghero Airport

Ryanair, called on 14 October 14th, 2008 on the European Commission to reduce the regulatory burden and costs on airlines and to embark upon anti-consumer scams such as fuel surcharges and screenscraper mis-selling in order to keep Europe’s air fares low during this recession. Ryanair also called on the EU Commission to urgently address and reverse many of the expensive, anti-consumer regulations introduced in recent years which have added significantly to the cost of all air travel within Europe, while delivering minimal passengers benefits. Such measures would include to take away the 7 State Aid investigations against Ryanair’s contracts at small regional airports including: Alghero, Palau, Frankfurt/Hahn, among others, Peanuts Online reported.

Germanwings does not serve Cologne/Bonn connection to Alghero in 2008

The German low cost airline Germanwings does not offer its Cologne/Bonn-Alghero connection any more in 2008, Germanwings said. The company launched a connection from Germany to Alghero in 2007 but too much competition on the market forced the carrier to interrupt the service in 2008. Competitor TUIfly offers connections five times a week from Köln to Olbia Costa Smeralda and three times a week to Cagliari in the South of Sardinia.