Another huge blow to Alitalia: effective today (May 26, 2006), it will no longer have governmental authority to fly to Sardinia from the Italian mainland. Accordingly, all flights to and from Cagliari and Rome/Milan will be operated exclusively by Alitalia competitors Meridiana and Air One.

Reportedly, passengers holding Alitalia tickets on these routes will be accommodated on the competitor airlines.

As recently as two years ago, Alitalia had a monopoly of flights between Cagliari and Rome, indeed as many as 14 per day.

Now everything has changed (to Alitalia's detriment), and the lucrative routes to Sardinia are GONE!!!

In any event, Meridiana and Air One usually had lower fares to Sardinia than did Alitalia.

I read this:

http://uk.biz.yahoo.com/060524/323/gchvy.html

... as being bad news for us travelers. It clearly reduces competition which can only result in higher fares.