Fiumicino, 26th May 2021 - Interest in covid-tested flights is growing rapidly. The innovative safety protocol, launched by Aeroporti di Roma, the Italian Ministry of Health and the Lazio Region initially on a prototype basis with Alitalia on the Rome-Milan route since last September and then on an experimental basis with Alitalia and Delta on flights from New York and Atlanta since last December, has proved to have great potential. Following the Italian Ministry of Health's Order of 14 May, with which the Italian government decided to extend the perimeter to other Italian airports and international routes, new covid-tested corridors were immediately set up at Fiumicino airport by all the identified countries, and in a few days, the carriers will start operations on the new permitted destinations.

As shown in the experimental phase, the double covid test on 100% of passengers carried out 48 hours before departure and immediately after arriving at their destination radically reduces the risk of imported infection. The protocol therefore makes it possible to avoid the 10-day quarantine period in Italy and also allows tourists (the only exception to the general ban on tourist arrivals from non-European countries) to arrive in Italy, also to the benefit of the national tourist industry as early as the next summer season.

In addition to the 12 weekly covid-tested flights currently in operation for New York and Atlanta by Alitalia and Delta Air Lines, at the beginning of the month, additional flights were added by American Airlines and United to New York. Then, as of 22nd May, the covid-tested protocol was implemented on American Airlines' Dallas-Rome Fiumicino flight. It is also expected that this travel procedure will soon be adopted on Emirates flights from Dubai and Etihad from Abu Dhabi, as well as new direct Alitalia flights from Tokyo Haneda and Air Canada flights from Toronto and Montreal, and in August Delta's connection from Boston. As a result of these developments, there will be 12 covid-tested intercontinental flight connections, 9 of which are from the United States and Canada, strategic markets for the connectivity of Rome and the entire country, that in 2019 had reached the record level of 3.8 million seats offered with a growth of 9% compared to 2018.

Aeroporti di Roma, an Atlantia Group company, manages Rome Fiumicino and Ciampino airports and carries out other business activities relating to airport management. Fiumicino has two passenger terminals and is dedicated to business and leisure customers on national, international and intercontinental routes; Ciampino is mainly used by low-cost airlines, express-couriers and General Aviation activities. In 2019 ADR recorded, as an airport system, 49.4 million passengers with over 240 destinations worldwide reachable from Rome, thanks to approximately 100 airlines operating at the two airports (In 2020, following the effects caused by Covid-19 on air transport, Fiumicino airport recorded just 9.8 million passengers while Ciampino airport ended the year with 1.6 million passengers). In 2020, Airports Council International Europe awarded Fiumicino’s Leonardo da Vinci airport with the “Best Airport Award 2020”. For the third year running, Leonardo da Vinci airport confirmed its position as the number one European hub with over 40 million passengers. The award adds to the recognition of Airports Council International World which, in 2020, presented Leonardo da Vinci airport with the “Airport Service Quality 2019” award for the third consecutive year as Europe’s most appreciated airport among hubs with more than 40 million passengers. ADR’s management capacity is also confirmed by the awards received during 2019 from Skytrax, the leading international rating and assessment company for the airport sector, which confirmed the 4 Skytrax stars obtained by Fiumicino in 2017.