The "Gabriele d'Annunzio" Italian airport of Brescia-Montichiari has been excluded from the European Union transport network. It was decided by the Council of the European Union which yesterday expressed its opinion on the so-called Ten-T corridors (Trans European Network -Transport), a set of transport infrastructures considered strategic for the EU single market and to guarantee the free movement of goods and people.

"The Brescia system is dismayed. We have been working for years to ensure that this structure is valorised and now we learn that it will no longer receive funding. We are in Lombardy, one of the engines of Italy, where there are three other airports that are collapsing", was the comment from the president of the Province of Brescia, Emanuele Moraschini.

"Montichiari is strategic -he added- it could also be used for passengers, not just for goods. I appeal to the newly elected European parliamentarians from Brescia to intervene to support the Brescia system and to relaunch this airport, which deserves to be at the center of active and concrete policies".

Francesco Folonari, Cargo Director of the Save Group, replied: "Certainly, we will promptly investigate the matter thoroughly, as we consider it unacceptable both in content and form. That said, we are not concerned in any way, because we are moving forward with our scheduled development plans, which are in no way affected by this new regulation. Moreover, we are mainly working to obtain urban planning compliance, which is essential for the commencement of the planned investments".

Montichiari stopover remains outside the 40 billion euro tenders of the "Connecting Europe Facility" program. The new regulations approved yesterday by Brussels have identified 11 "core" (important) airports for transnational mobility and 22 "comprehensive" (of interest). The Italian airports of Perugia, Rimini and the island of Elba among those selected into the latter category.