Volotea to open Summer base in Bari

Spanish low-cost carrier (LCC) Volotea will operate a new seasonal base in Bari, Southern Italy, on Summer 2024. By stationing an Airbus A320 in the main gateway for the Apulia region, the airline will be able to open five new routes and increase its capacity in the airport by 38%.

The new seasonal routes will connect Bari to Bilbao, Comiso, Dubrovnik, Málaga and Toulouse. These are already available in Volotea’s sales channels, as is Volotea’s existing network from the city to another ten destinations. According to Bari’s edition of Corriere della Sera, another three destinations are yet to be announced in the coming weeks.

«The announcement by Volotea, which from next Summer will connect from Bari 18 destinations, eight of which are novel, represents great news for us and for Apulia», said Antonio Maria Vasile, president of the airport’s operator Aeroporti di Puglia, according to Corriere. The new base was celebrated in a press conference.

Vasile said that the new base «will allow, in line with our strategic plan, a diversification of supply from the airline’s side, promoting competitiveness, competition and adaptability of the changing market conditions in favor of the consumers».

Volotea’s 21st base, Bari will be the airline’s eighth in Italy, after Cagliari, Florence, Naples, Olbia, Palermo, Venice and Verona.

«The opening of the Summer base in Bari confirms once again Volotea’s growth in Italy», said Valeria Rebasti, the LCC’s Director for international markets, also according to the Corriere. «This important milestone and the routes announced today allow a consolidation of the region’s connectivity, with a total of 18 destinations in five different countries, among which Croatia and Spain, [which are] novelties for our Summer 2024 in Bari.»

Volotea’s business model is focused on predominantly leisure routes with little to no competition. Through a low cost base passed on to low fares, the LCC can thereby stimulate demand in underserved city pairs.