"Service which is not just less costly, but better, is the name of the game." Novak Niketic President Sutra, Inc.

Italian airline Blue Panorama have launched a low-cost carrier that will serve domestic and European routes, Blue Panorama chairman Franco Pecci announced today in Rome.

The new company, Blu-express.com, will operate flights from Rome's Leonardo Da Vinci airport to Bari and Milan's Malpensa starting November 21. Flights to Nice and Grenoble, France; Munich, Germany; and Vienna, Austria will begin December 15 and 16.

Using the AirKiosk system, Blu-express.com will sell its flights and other travel services directly through the Internet. Domestic fares start at EUR 9.99 plus tax one way.

The airline's website highlights the AirKiosk system Low Fare Finder Calendar, allowing visitors to immediately see the lowest fares available over a two-month range. Working in real time, the AirKiosk system Calendar displays low fares available for multiple departures with one click on a date. Blu-Express customers will also enjoy other advantages of an AirKiosk system-powered website, including confirmation retrieval, and flight and name changes, without contacting an airline agent or ticket office. Blu-express.com is a "ticketless" airline, a mandatory practice by 2007 for all airlines complying with industry standards.

"The Blu-express.com launch is another milestone in the progress of savvy airlines and travelers. Service which is not just less costly, but better, is the name of the game," said Novak Niketic, AirKiosk system chief developer and president of Sutra, Inc. in Massachusetts. Sutra's AirKiosk system has been lowering IT costs and improving commercial flexibility for airlines since 1999.

Blue Panorama Airlines was founded by Franco Pecci in 1998 and now flies more than 600,000 passengers a year. A sister sales organization, Distal, acts as a GSA for many international airlines in Italy.

The Blu-Express project was completed in record time under the guidance of former Hapag-Lloyd airline chief executive Wolfgang Kurth and his consultancy, Advolar. AirKiosk system set up and training began just 9 weeks before today's launch. In an interview with FVW magazine, Kurth noted "the national carrier is relatively weak, internet acceptance and credit card usage are widespread in Italy. These are good conditions," for Blue-express.com.