Northern Italy’s Milan Bergamo is expanding its links with West Africa, having added flights by Neos to Dakar in Senegal as well as Boa Vista and Sal in Cape Verde. Flights between Milan and Sal are also being serve by Cabo Verde Airlines.
Neos Air is a private Italian carrier, headquartered in Lombardy. It operates a fleet of Boeing 737 Next Generation 737 MAX and Boeing 787 aircraft with a network covering Italy, Europe and intercontinental destinations. Meanwhile, Cabo Verde Airlines, is a Cape Verde-based carrier operating from its hub on Sal Island. It also operates a fleet of Boeing aircraft and has two ATR 72-600 on order.
Bergamo’s catchment encompasses the largest concentrations of West African nationals in Northern Italy, particularly from Senegal, Nigeria, Ghana and Ivory Coast.
Over 30 per cent of all Senegalese residents in Lombardy live in the province of Bergamo. Meanwhile 59.8 per cent of all Senegalese residents in the Milan Bergamo catchment area fall within Bergamo Airport’s core region, highlighting the importance of current and future air links with Dakar.
The Italian airport’s network is also strategically positioned to serve large Nigerian, Ghanaian and Ivorian diaspora across the region. For Nigeria, Bergamo’s catchment covers 54.6 per cent of the total Nigerian population within the Milan metropolitan area, amounting to roughly 26,672 individuals, which is the highest concentration in the region.
For Ghana, Bergamo accounts ofr 79.7 per cent of the total Ghanaian population in the combined catchment of 17,411 residents. The Ivorian community also has a strong presence with 48.9 per cent of residents in northern Italy living within Bergamo’s reach.
“The strong presence of West African communities within our catchment area highlights the important social and economic role of air connectivity,” said Giacomo Cattaneo, Director of Commercial Aviation, SACBO.
“We are proud to offer direct links to Dakar, Boa Vista and Sal, which support both family ties and tourism flows and are working actively with our airline partners to increase frequencies, particularly to Dakar, where the demand already exceeds the current supply.”
Beyond Lombardy’s diaspora market, the connections with West Africa also attract leisure travellers year-round. In addition, the links support trade connections between Italy and West African nations, which have intensified in recent years. This growth has been driven by rising demand for manufactured goods, machinery, food products and technology from Italy, alongside imports of natural resources, agricultural products and oil from West Africa.
A statement from Milan Bergamo underlined that with the airport’s location at the centre of the West African diaspora in northern Italy, the case for more capacity and enhanced connectivity is stronger than ever. As the airport continues to grow its international reach, it remains focused on ensuring that its services reflect the real needs of the diverse population it serves.
