Interview with Federico Scriboni (ADR): "Rome becomes the alternative gateway to the Atlantic... and beyond."
Delta, Alaska, Biman, Qantas: all entities that, for different reasons, have bet on Rome. A bet that - it seems - is paying off for everyone. And which opens up increasingly interesting scenarios for those who love to fly far away, starting from Italy.
FCO
At the 100th anniversary ceremony for Delta and For the launch of the new Rome-Minneapolis route., we met Federico Scriboni, Director Aviation Business Development at Aeroporti di Roma. We talked with him about new routes, companies choosing Fiumicino as their first European port of call, and that wish book called the intercontinental network.
In this article:
TFC: In an increasingly rich landscape of routes to the United States, Minneapolis seems an "alternative" choice. How does this new destination fit into Fiumicino's network?
Scriboni: Minneapolis is a destination we have been looking for a long time. We were missing in our direct route portfolio, so we are very happy to finally have it in our system. It is a strategic city not only for the Rome market, but for the entire Italian market: as of today it is the only direct flight between Italy and Minnesota. But that's not all. Minneapolis is also one of Delta's main hubs, and this opens up for Italian passengers a vast network of connections to the American Midwest, with many destinations that would otherwise be much more complex to reach.
TFC: On the same days that Delta opens Minneapolis and announces Seattle, Alaska Airlines is making its European debut right on Rome. And not on London or Paris. What's the effect?
Did you get your flight cancelled, miss your connection, land late?
You could get up to 600€ compensation per person
Scriboni: Enormous satisfaction. When a company like Alaska Airlines-with a fleet of more than 130 aircraft-decides to take on the Atlantic for the first time and chooses Rome as a gateway to Europe, it means we are doing the right things. It is the fruit of long-term work, built on a shared vision. Alaska could have chosen London as his first port of call. Instead, he chose Rome. And it is a strong signal: Rome is once again, even in modern times, a favored hub for those who want to reach the heart of Europe.
TFC: Looking ahead, what is missing from ADR's route "wishlist"?
Scriboni: On North America we are doing very well, and we see that. The potential is there and we are seizing it. But there are areas of the world where we can do more. I am thinking of South America and especially Asia, where market dynamics are more complex, but the potential is just as high. And then there are surprising cases like Biman Bangladesh, a company that few Italian passengers are familiar with, but which offers an interesting network and an absolutely good product. They chose Rome as their only European stopover. Not Berlin, not Paris, not Frankfurt: Rome.
TFC: A repeating pattern. Qantas also made a similar choice, no?
Scriboni: That's right. After London, Rome was the first European airport to welcome the direct flight from Perth. We are talking about more than 17 hours of non-stop flight time. Even then, Qantas chose to serve all of Europe from Rome. This tells us one thing very clearly: Fiumicino is back to being a full-fledged intercontinental hub, chosen by companies that look forward to demand and service quality.
TFC: What should we expect in the coming months?
Scriboni: Growth. We will continue to work to strengthen intercontinental connectivity, consolidating North America and expanding Asia. There are still many pages to be written in our route book. And Rome has all the credentials to increasingly become the preferred gateway between Europe, the Americas and Asia.
