His request came in relation to “routes that have seen an anomalous variation” in prices, according to a statement from the business and Made in Italy ministry.
The national statistics agency Istat registered a 40 per cent annual increase in average ticket prices in May.
The explanations “must be provided within 10 days”, ahead of the meeting of the new price alert commission on July 20.
The ministry is probing the trend in ticket prices on some routes connecting the cities of Rome and Milan with Venice, Palermo, Catania and Cagliari in particular.
On Tuesday Mineo met with Ita Airways, Ryanair, Malta Air, Aeroitalia, Easyjet, Neos and Wizz Air.
On Saturday Consumer association Codacons, which recently got the Antitrust authority to open a probe into the price of flights between the mainland and Sicily, said it welcomed news of the meeting.
“The government is right to summon the airlines to verify what is happening with flight prices,” said Codacons President Carlo Rienzi.
“We have been saying for months that the air-sector prices are out of control.
“We consider the price trends in the air-transport sector to be absolutely unjustified and they are a huge damage to citizens, especially in the period of the summer departures,” he added.
ANSA
