Here we go again: they’ve done it again

Territorial continuity extended but flights still not bookable: Pantelleria remains uncertain

In Pantelleria, territorial continuity has been extended until 30 October, but as of today it is still not possible to book flights after 28 March. A paradox that is difficult to explain to the island’s residents and to those wishing to reach it, just as planning for the tourist season should be getting underway.

Just a few weeks before the Easter holidays, residents, workers, tourists and second-home owners still have no certainty about connections to the island. Anyone wishing to plan a trip or organise a stay in Pantelleria simply cannot do so.

The result is clear economic damage for an island that relies heavily on tourism and has the potential to develop its tourism economy throughout the year. Instead, once again, uncertainty over transport connections risks undermining the planning of the season before it has even begun.

The international situation makes the picture even more delicate. Tensions and the threat of conflict in the Gulf are already creating uncertainty in markets and Mediterranean tourism flows. This is precisely why Pantelleria needs stable and reliable connections and proper planning, not further uncertainty.

Pantelleria cannot plan its economy if it is not even possible to book a flight.

This situation is further compounded by another cause for concern. Territorial continuity continues to be managed through successive extensions, whereas a new tender should be published to ensure stability and proper planning of connections to the island.

A system based on repeated extensions gives neither residents nor businesses any certainty about transport connections. Pantelleria needs a structural solution, not temporary measures that merely postpone the resolution of the problem by a few months.

Territorial continuity is not a favour granted to islands, nor is it only about tourism. For an island community, it means the right to mobility, access to healthcare, the ability to work and to sustain economic activity—in short, the right to be fully connected with the rest of Italy.

This situation also reveals an evident contradiction. The current municipal administration belongs to the same political coalition that governs both the Sicilian Region and the national government. At least in principle, this should make it possible to activate direct institutional channels and respond quickly to emergency situations such as the one Pantelleria is currently facing.

Yet once again, the island is dealing with delays, uncertainty and even the inability to book flights as the tourist season approaches.

Pantelleria cannot continue to live with such uncertainty over its transport connections. An island territory needs planning, reliability and a long-term vision. Without these elements, it is not only tourism that is at risk, but the entire economic and social balance of the community.

Territorial continuity that does not even allow people to book a flight is not true territorial continuity.

Pantelleria, 6 March 2026

THE DAMMUSO CIRCLE Association – Pantelleria

Download the official press release here.