Italian airline SkyAlps has announced a new seasonal service, connecting Bolzano Airport (BZO) in Italy to Antwerp International Airport (ANR) in Belgium. The three-weekly flights are scheduled to begin on December 21st.

Bolzano Airport, in the autonomous province of South Tyrol, is located in the heart of the Italian Alps. The area is popular with winter sports enthusiasts, and the launch of SkyAlps’ new service from Antwerp is perfectly timed to tap into this lucrative market.

There are hopes that the flights will also boost the profile of Antwerp as a tourist destination for Italian passengers. The CEO of Antwerp International Airport, Eric Dumas, said,

"There is a lot of demand for flights from Antwerp to Italy. That is why we are pleased to be able to announce this new connection. Thanks to SkyAlps' new scheduled service, travelers can fly to the Italian Dolomites 3 times a week. With this route we are also targeting inbound tourism. We also want to promote Antwerp and Flanders to the Italians as a city destination."

Antwerp International Airport recently announced a strong Q2 performance thanks to a rebound in passenger traffic. SkyAlps, however, will not face any competition on its new route.

The flight schedule

Flights will run three times per week, on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Services will be operated by SkyAlps’ Dash 8-Q400 aircraft, seating 78 passengers.

• Flight BN1963 – departs from Bolzano at 14:15 and arrives in Antwerp at 16:15
• Flight BN1964 – departs from Antwerp at 17:05 and arrives in Bolzano at 18:55

The first flight will depart on December 21st, with services running until mid-April 2023.

A closer look at SkyAlps

SkyAlps began operations on June 17th, 2021, with flights to Olbia and Ibiza. Based at Bolzano Airport, the airline today operates a fleet of four Dash 8-Q400 aircraft and serves 17 destinations across Europe.

Its routes include the cities of Berlin (BER), Dusseldorf (DUS), and Hamburg (HAM), as well as a number of popular summer holiday destinations around the Mediterranean, including Palma de Mallorca (PMI).

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This new service to Antwerp is not the first time that SkyAlps has flown to Belgium. Last winter, the airline operated a seasonal service to Brussels Airport (BRU), approximately 40km (25 miles) from Antwerp.

SkyAlps is a subsidiary of Fri-El Green Power, an Italian renewable energy company. It should therefore come as no surprise that the airline is committed to sustainability.

The Dash 8-Q400 aircraft flown by SkyAlps are fuel-efficient aircraft. According to the airline, its CO2 emissions are therefore around 40% lower than the European average. SkyAlps also offers passengers the chance to offset their CO2 emissions during the booking process.

SkyAlps’ onboard service makes use of regional products, such as celebrated local wines, with the wine list changing each month. In what seems like an increasingly rare move on short-haul flights, the products are available free of charge to all SkyAlps passengers.

Have you flown on SkyAlps since the airline began operations last summer? Share your experiences by commenting below.