Lugano-Agno Airport once flourished with 32 scheduled flights, but after bankruptcy, the airport is now struggling to revitalize the site. While airport director Davide Pedrioli presents the functional but unused facilities with both pride and sadness, the financial outlook points to difficulties. Currently, the airport is used primarily by private and business travelers, with approximately 10.000 passengers annually.
The City of Lugano is seeking private investors for urgently needed renovations, particularly of the office and restaurant buildings, as well as for a new hangar. City Councilor Filippo Lombardi emphasizes that no taxpayer money will be invested and that a public-private partnership model is being pursued. The necessary investment is estimated at at least CHF 30 million.
However, Lombardi is more concerned about the federal government's austerity plans, which envisage stopping funding for security measures at regional airports like Lugano. This would cost Lugano around five million Swiss francs in revenue, equivalent to almost 40 percent of its budget. Lombardi fears this could significantly complicate the search for private investors. While Caroline Camponovo of the Ticino Airport Association (VCS Ticino) criticizes the current subsidies for security costs, airport director Pedrioli hopes Bern will relent. The final decision by the Federal Council and Parliament is expected in the fall.
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