Pantelleria without certainty about flights: concern grows on the island

Once again, the territorial continuity of Pantelleria is at the center of a situation of uncertainty that risks producing concrete consequences on the lives of citizens and the economy of the island. A few weeks before the expiration of the extension scheduled for the end of March, the new call for air connections has not yet been published, leaving residents, operators and visitors without certainty about the possibility of planning travel in the following months.

The difficulties do not only affect the tourism sector, but directly affect the daily life of the island community. The impossibility of booking in advance limits travel for health, work and family reasons and feeds a feeling of isolation that appears to be in contrast with the very principle of territorial continuity.

At the same time, many owners of dammusi and regular visitors to the island encounter increasing difficulties in organizing even short stays, while those who would like to visit Pantelleria for the first time, plan an event or consider buying a property risk giving up in the face of the absence of certain connections. The economic and social damage thus becomes widespread and silent, involving the entire local fabric and compromising the programmability of the season.

The situation appears even more difficult to understand considering that, in recent years, there had been a desire for a progressive improvement of the connection system — also through hypotheses of strengthening territorial continuity similar to those adopted for other island realities — while today we are witnessing a worsening of the existing conditions, made evident precisely by the failure to define the new tender.

It is not the first time that Pantelleria has experienced a phase of similar uncertainty, but the cyclical repetition of these critical issues risks weakening the confidence of citizens, visitors and investors in the real reliability of connections with the island. Territorial continuity should guarantee stability and planning; when it becomes uncertain, the entire community pays the price.

It is therefore hoped that the situation will be resolved immediately and the new connections will be promptly defined, in order to avoid a further aggravation of the critical issues already in place and to restore to citizens, operators and visitors the certainty necessary to plan life and activities on the island with serenity.

Pantelleria, March 2026

THE DAMMUSO CIRCLE Association – Pantelleria

Download the official press release here.