Revising Aeroporti di Puglia’s strategic plan for post-COVID-19

In 2018, Steer supported Aeroporti di Puglia, the operator of the first Italian airport network which includes Bari, Brindisi, Grottaglie-Taranto and Foggia airports, in the development of its new Strategic Plan.

The Plan provided specific guidelines for Aeroporti di Puglia including a number of high-level actions and goals such as an increase in passenger traffic, especially incoming traffic, to 11 million passengers by 2029 as a result of opening new international routes.

Bari and Brindisi airports reported a +10% increase in traffic in 2019 when compared to the previous year,  reaching 8.1 million passengers. These airports also saw extraordinary growth in inbound visitors (+18% YoY), clearly attracted by the breathtaking Apulian landscape.

Like the rest of Europe, the potential future growth of Bari and Brindisi is now threatened by the ongoing pandemic. The month of April saw a decrease in passenger traffic of 95% and it’s very likely that the market will take two to three years to return to pre-crisis levels.

Given the current situation, Aeroporti di Puglia asked Steer to refresh their medium to long-term strategy with the primary goal of assessing the potential effects caused by the COVID-19 spread and identifying actions to be taken in the short to medium-term to recover air traffic and non-aviation revenue.

Our analysis will be informed by the assessment of several factors:

• the scope and geography of travel restrictions, local and worldwide economic developments;
• the overall effect of COVID-19 on the aviation industry (e.g. airline, airports, aviation supply chain, etc.) in the short to medium-term;
• competition with other transport modes;
• impact on airlines, airport and the aviation supply chain from bankruptcy, distress and new operational procedures;
• traffic demand at Bari and Brindisi airports pre-COVID-19 and passenger profile with a focus on demographic aspects and reason for travelling;
• behavioural change among travellers;
• impact of technology vs. travel by air;
• the reaction of the Apulia tourism industry in the next six months.

In order to provide a more comprehensive and global analysis of the potential effects on the aviation market, we are working and collaborating with colleagues across our global offices.