ROME -- “This link is the result of the huge demand that we have seen in many Italian cities, especially in the south, to bring Italy to Poland,” stated the Ambassador of Poland in Italy Tomasz Orlowski, at the opening of a conference in Rome called by Polish local tourist authorities as a result of the new air route operated by Mistral Air from Rome Fiumicino to Bydgoszcz, a city in the Cuiava-Pomorskie Province, located in North Poland between Gdansk and Torun.

 "There is one type of connection," continued the Ambassador "that responds to two major challenges: promoting economic exchanges between the two countries and bringing people together to overcome the crisis at the moment looking out in the world of international relations. Bydgoszcz is a little known city of 360,000 inhabitants, but it has changed dramatically in the past decade. Today it is a cosmopolitan center, with a strong industrial tradition, but which is also open to tourism. The new link is a great opportunity for the city and the region.”

 Many Polish representatives, as well as Italian tour operators and the members of the Italian media, attended the event in Rome, with tourism representatives from Bydgoszcz and Torun, the two cities most affected by the connection. The representative of Cuiava -Pomerania region who is also the President of the airport said "The airport is celebrating its first hundred years in 2016. First it was a military airport and only recently opened to commercial traffic," said President Tomasz Moraczewski. "Today it connects the city of Bydgoszcz with the main northern European ports (London, Copenhagen, Dublin, Stockholm, Liverpool, Vienna and Berlin) mostly operated by Ryanair flights. This is the first regular connection with Italy. The hope is that it can be used not only by the Poles who travel to Italy on business or for journeys of faith, but also by Italian tourists who will have a direct access to the region that includes other major cities such as Torun (only 30 minutes away by car or train) and Gdansk which is easily reached in less than two and a half hours."

 The new flight connection started on June 16 and will continue throughout the summer, until October. "For Mistral Air," said airline’s commercial director Mark Camilleri, "it is the beginning of a strategy which combines the activity charter, currently implemented, almost exclusively, to the line. After connections with Albania and those implemented on the home front (Bari, Ancona, Florence, Perugia, etc.), we have now launched this new adventure. The route is operated twice a week (Monday and Thursday) with schedules at mid-day in order to allow connections at the Rome airport. Like the Polish authorities, we also expect a lot from this new link. The beginning was difficult, but now we are studying new strategies and new ways to make the new opportunity known to the general public."

 Mistral Air operates charter routes for both regular transport and cargo. The company has been present on the market for over 40 years. Since 2002 it has been part of the ‘Poste Italiane’. In 2013, Mistral Air handled more than 10,000 flights carrying more than 600,000 passengers. It is one of the most important medium-haul operators, and is the only Italian cargo carrier with a fully Italian capital using jet aircraft.

 “Kujawsko-Pomorskie is now directly connected with Italy. Rome, the Eternal City, is heaven for tourists. It offers a rich history, culture, and famous Italian cuisine. Just 30 minutes from the center of Rome you can find lots of beautiful beaches and lakes. Let us not forget that Rome is also the city of the Pope!” stated Rosario Fava, President of Mistral Air. “We are also working on this to strengthen our presence in Bydgoszcz Airport”.

 Tickets for the Bydgoszcz - Rome connection are available on carrier’s website: mistralair.it as well as other travel agencies, with prices starting from 42 euros.

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