Journey despite IT downtime: Criticism of Transport Minister Salvini

The plane carrying the president of the league took off from Rome to Milan according to plan. Thousands of others had to wait.

During the Global IT crash on Friday Tens of thousands of passengers were also stranded at airports across Italy.

Journey of Italian Transport Minister Matteo Salvini However, some opposition politicians criticised on Saturday that there was only a short delay in take-off from Rome's Fiumicino airport towards Milan Linate.

While most flights from Rome to Fiumicino were cancelled between 12 p.m. and 2 p.m., the plane operated by Italian airline ITA Airways carrying Salvini and other politicians managed to leave, albeit about an hour later than scheduled, opposition representatives said. A number of domestic flights were cancelled during the same period.

The opposition parties PD (Partito Democrato) and Avs (Alliance of Greens and the Left) have announced parliamentary questions about Salvini's escape. “How can the plane carrying the transport minister leave according to plan while thousands of citizens are suffering inconveniences?” asked Angelo Bonelli, leader of the Italian Green Party.

Salvini's ruling right-wing League party responded by saying the minister had already booked an economy-class flight from Rome to Milan on Thursday evening. “It is clear that today's harassment was unexpected,” the League said. Salvini has reportedly threatened to sue those who accuse him of taking advantage.

ITA Airlines said in a statement that in the same period as Salvini's flight, between 12:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m., 12 flights took off from Rome Fiumicino, 10 short- and medium-haul flights and two long-haul flights. In addition, 12 of the 14 scheduled flights departed from Rome Fiumicino to Milan Linate on Friday.

Last November, the Italian Minister of Agriculture Francesco Lollobrigida He was criticized for using a high-speed train for his personal needs. Due to a delay of almost two hours on the high-speed line near Naples, Lollobrigida was given a special stop in Ciampino, 20 kilometers outside the capital towards Rome. The minister was thus able to continue his journey by car. As a result, the minister received much criticism and accusations of privilege.