A Ticino airline aims to fly to London

One of the seven consortiums that has come forward to take over the management of Lugano Airport has precise ideas. Named Northern Lights and led by Damian Hefti and Andrea Burkhardt.

Two presently sit at the forefront: one led by Giovanna Masoni and Sir Lindsay Owen-Jones and the other led by Stefano Artioli, Rolf Marending and Massimo Malgorani), but Northern Lights has experience and dynamism. A good idea sometimes finds major lenders. «We have several people interested in investing in the project» Northern Lights’ central idea is to bring scheduled flights back to Lugano through the creation of a new airline: SouthSuisse Airways.

Hefti - a young entrepreneur from Ticino - has been studying for a long time with the assistance of experts in the sector, the industry expert is Andrea Burkhardt. an airline pilot, he flew to & from Lugano for a good part of his career, first with Crossair, then with Swiss and finally with Darwin (without forgetting a ride on Hello’s MD-90s). Burkhardt therefore knows the airport and its structural and technical defects very well. He also knows well the strategies and mistakes made.

The connections

Hefti and Burkhardt are convinced for several reasons, that Lugano Airport still has great potential for scheduled flights. In addition to leisure flights (summer flights) and the arrival of charters, their plan includes regular connections with at least Geneva, Frankfurt and London. Not with the «usual» Saab2000 but with the more modern Embraer 170, which allows for more sustainable approaches. Frankfurt and London are two destinations that for more than a decade the leaders of the Lugano airport have tried, without ever succeeding, to offer. It seems Northern Lights believes it can succeed where so many (from Swiss and the Lufthansa group have failed or have stumbled. Today, with the pandemic crisis that has brought the aviation market to its knees.

Is it realistic to imagine a bright future for a fledgling regional airline, with its main hub in a city of less than 100,000 inhabitants?

Hefti and Burkhardt answer us without hesitation: «Yes». «Yes, because the pandemic has also opened many opportunities». There is the availability of reasonably priced leased aircraft, there is an abundance of pilots and - above all - in the short to medium term pricing policy could change. «When we return to fly - we are told - people will have to get used to higher prices. We doubt that we will still fly for 39.90 between Milan and London, and therefore Lugano will be competitive again from this point of view».

also opened many openings, various niches and many opportunities». There is the availability of reasonably priced leased aircraft, there is an abundance of pilots and - above all - in the short to medium term pricing policy could change. «When we return to fly - we are told - people will have to get used to higher prices. We doubt that we will still fly for 39.90 between Milan and London, and therefore Lugano will be competitive again from this point of view ». 000 inhabitants? Hefti and Burkhardt answer us without hesitation: _ «Yes». «Yes, because the pandemic has also opened many openings, various niches and many opportunities». There is the availability of reasonably priced leased aircraft, there is an abundance of pilots and - above all - in the short to medium term pricing policy could change. «When we return to fly - we are told - people will have to get used to higher prices. We doubt that we will still fly for 39.90 between Milan and London, and therefore Lugano will be competitive again from this point of view ». «When we return to fly - we are told - people will have to get used to higher prices. We doubt that we will still fly for 39.90 between Milan and London, and therefore Lugano will be competitive again from this point of view ».

The management

But scheduled flights are clearly not the only goal that the group has for Lugano. The consortium that will be chosen by the Municipality will also have to deal with airport management. That is, to manage everything within the airport perimeter. Northern Lights intends to create a holding company for this. One company will take care of the airport management, the other of scheduled flights. Among other things, an idea similar to that which - before the dissolution of LASA - the now former shareholders (City and Canton) of the Lugano airport had in mind. A structure like that of St. Gallen airport (where the airline owns the airport).

Investments

According to Northern Lights, it will be essential to invest in a new approach system to (re) bring scheduled flights to Lugano. “We have already identified one - we are told - that meets the criteria set by the Federal Office of Civil Aviation. A system which, among other things, would require investments that can be quantified in a few hundred thousand francs, but which would guarantee to land and take off from Lugano in practically any weather». And this - with a technology dating back to Crossair times - has probably been Lugano Airport’s main flaw in the last 20 and perhaps more years.