Business · Companies · 1 hr ago
Italian airlines urge aviation authority to block Emirates Milan-Lima route
Emirates has asked Italy’s civil aviation authority, ENAC, for permission to add a Milan Malpensa-Lima service to its existing Milan-New York route.
The request involves so-called fifth-freedom rights, and ENAC has not yet given its final approval.
There is no direct flight between Milan and Lima now, although about 150,000 people travel between the cities each year, usually with a stop.
Italian airline ITA opposes the request, and Neos and Aeroitalia have also spoken against it.
Neos says the service could give a non-European airline a larger role in long-distance flights from Italy and weaken national airlines’ prospects for investment and growth.
Neos also points to past concerns that granting traffic rights to foreign airlines affected efforts to find a partner for Alitalia.
Neos has asked for a meeting with interested Italian airlines and a transparent assessment before a decision is made.
Italian airlines are urging Italy’s civil aviation authority to reject Emirates’ request to add a Milan-Lima service.
Emirates is seeking fifth-freedom rights to extend its existing Milan Malpensa-New York JFK route to Lima.
Neos and ITA have opposed the proposal, while Aeroitalia’s chief executive has also called for it to be blocked.
Neos says the route could threaten investment and development prospects for Italian airlines.
About 150,000 people travel between Milan and Lima each year, but currently there is no direct flight.
- Who
- Neos, ITA and Aeroitalia are opposing Emirates’ request.
- What
- Emirates has asked to extend its fifth-freedom rights to operate a Milan Malpensa-Lima route.
- When
- Neos sent its letter on October 8; the article was published October 12, 2026.
- Where
- The proposed route is between Milan Malpensa, Italy, and Lima, Peru.
- Why
- The Italian airlines say the route could harm national carriers and their investment prospects.
Italian airlines opposing the route
Emirates
Route authorization
Italian airlines opposing the route
Italian airlines want Enac to reject Emirates’ request for fifth-freedom rights on the Milan-Lima route.
Emirates
Emirates has asked Enac for permission to add Lima to its existing Milan Malpensa-New York JFK route.
Market impact
Italian airlines opposing the route
Neos says the rights could give Emirates greater access to Italian traffic and affect national carriers’ development.
Emirates
Not stated.
We strongly oppose the possible granting to Emirates of fifth-freedom rights on the Milan Malpensa-Lima route
We are a banana republic; rights of this kind cannot be granted to carriers that are not even European and compete fiercely with us
We believe that concessions of this nature should remain limited to specific needs and not become a tool for the gradual construction of a long-haul network from Italian airports by a non-European carrier
Corriere della Sera reported that Emirates had asked Enac to extend its fifth-freedom rights to include Milan-Lima.
Neos sent a letter to Enac officials and Deputy Transport Minister Edoardo Rixi opposing the possible grant of the rights.
Corriere della Sera reported that ITA was also opposed and was seeking to start a Rome-Lima route earlier.
Corriere della Sera reported that Italian airlines were urging Enac to block Emirates’ expansion from Milan Malpensa.
- Requested route
- Milan Malpensa-Lima
- Existing Emirates route
- Milan Malpensa-New York JFK
- Annual Milan-Lima travelers
- About 150,000
- Neos letter date
- October 8
- Neos president
- Lupo Rattazzi
Sources
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