All Italian airports to reopen from June 3

“It will be possible to proceed with the reopening of all airports from June 3, when interregional and international transfers will again be allowed,” Transport Minister Paola De Micheli said on Wednesday.

It comes after the Italian government on Saturday announced that it would reopen its borders to European Union tourists from June 3 and scrap obligatory quarantine for foreign visitors.

Italy, the first European country to be affected by the coronavirus pandemic, closed some airports, including Milan’s Linate airport, as its nationwide quarantine rules were tightened on March 12.

Other airports were allowed to operate but in a limited way, such as Rome’s Fiumicino, Milan’s Malpensa and the airports in Bologna, Palermo, Bari and Turin.

Ciampino airport in Rome and Peretola in Florence, which were closed on March 13, were allowed to reopen from May 4.

Italian airline Alitalia also announced on Wednesday that it would increase its flights by 36 per cent in June compared with May.

The troubled airline, which is set to be nationalised, said that from June 2 it would gradually resume its services between Rome and New York, and between Milan and southern Italy, as well as certain flights to Spain. 

The government said while the ban on travel between regions is set to be lifted on June 3, it will depend on the conditions of each region, according to Italian news agency ANSA.

 “It will depend on the conditions of the region,” Regional Affairs Minister Francesco Boccia said.

 “If a region is low risk, travel will probably be allowed from June 3.

“On interregional mobility, I ask for a little more patience.”

Boccia said the government wants to wait a few days for more data, in order to see whether the infection rate has been affected by the relaxation of the restrictions so far in May.

“If a region is high-risk it certainly won’t be able to receive entries from other regions, but let’s hope that is not the case,” he said.

Italy’s official coronavirus death toll stands at 32,486, though the actual figure is believed to be much higher.