ORP and Albastar renew their partnership

Opera Romana Pellegrinaggi and Albastar renew their strategic partnership, which began last year, for 2018 providing a joint airline service between the French airport of Lourdes and the the Roman airport Fiumicino. In addition to offering direct scheduled flights, operated by AlbaStar every Monday and Thursday, the partnership provides integrated flight services that will enrich the spiritual experience of pilgrims on arrival at their destination.

Thanks to this alliance with Opera Romana Pellegrinaggi, flights departing from Rome Fiumicino have recorded an increase of 20% compared to previous years and results continue to be satisfactory.

Over the years, AlbaStar has successfully established itself as the leading airline company for connections to the French city of Lourdes, with flights departing from several European airports. The company, whose airline activity to this destination began in 2015, has become a primary European partner for pilgrimage tourism.

In 2017, AlbaStar transported approximately 75,000 pilgrims, with flights departing from forty-five airports between Italy, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Belgium and Spain. The specialised training in hospitals of its cabin crew for the care and assistance of people with reduced mobility, combined with the utmost dedication to pilgrims, have allowed the airline to offer its passengers, including those who need to be transported on stretchers, a high-quality service.

Flights are operated using a fleet of six aircraft, three Boeing 737-400 fitted with 170 seats in a single class and three Boeing 737-800, fitted with 189 seats in a single class.

“The partnership with AlbaStar – declares Mons. Remo Chiavarini, Managing Director of Opera Romana Pellegrinaggi – allows us to provide a service, throughout the entire season, for pilgrims who wish to reach Lourdes, which has been a place of hope and grace for women and men of our time for over 160 years. To experience pilgrimage with ORP allows people to enjoy the beauty of Faith as a community, breathing in the true sense of ecclesiality.”