Flight despite IT glitch: criticism of Salvini

The flight of Italian Transport Minister Matteo Salvini from Rome’s Fiumicino airport to Milan Linate, however, took off only with a short delay, some opposition politicians criticized on Saturday.

While most flights from Rome Fiumicino were cancelled between 12 and 2 p.m., the Italian airline ITA Airways plane with Salvini and other politicians on board was able to take off, albeit about an hour later than planned, opposition representatives said. A whole series of domestic flights were cancelled during the same period.

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The opposition parties PD (Partito Democratico) and AVS (Alliance of the Greens and the Left) announced parliamentary inquiries into Salvini’s flight. “How is it possible that, while thousands of citizens are suffering inconvenience, the plane with the Minister of Transport on board takes off according to schedule?” asked the leader of the Italian Greens, Angelo Bonelli.

“Today’s inconveniences were clearly not foreseeable”

Salvini’s right-wing ruling party Lega responded that the minister had already booked the flight from Rome to Milan in economy class on Thursday evening. “Today’s inconveniences were clearly not foreseeable,” stressed the Lega. Salvini threatened to sue those who accused him of privileges, it said.

ITA Airways said in a statement that in the same period as Salvini’s flight, between 12:00 and 15:00, a total of 12 planes took off from Rome Fiumicino, ten short and medium-haul flights and two long-haul flights. In addition, 12 of a total of 14 scheduled flights took off from Rome Fiumicino to Milan Linate during the course of Friday.

Last November, Italian Agriculture Minister Francesco Lollobrigida came under fire for allegedly using a high-speed train for his personal needs. Due to a delay of almost two hours on the high-speed line near Naples, Lollobrigida was granted a special stop in Ciampino, 20 kilometers outside the capital in the direction of Rome. The minister was thus able to continue his journey by car. This drew much criticism and accusations of privilege.