Ryanair has announced that it is launching a new base at Rome’s Fiumicino airport to serve destinations in southern Italy starting 18 December. The airports are Catania, Lamezia Terme and Palermo.

At the same time it will start re-routing its existing traffic from Rome’s second airport, Ciampino, which is now Ryanair’s main hub in Italy, to Fiumicino, also known as Leonardo da Vinci International airport.

The Irish low-cost airline is also hoping to join the ailing Italian national carrier in a flight-sharing partnership. Ryanair will offer feeder flights into Fiumicino to Alitalia’s international network.

Ryanair has also said that it will increase its flight frequencies if Alitalia cuts back while it restructures in its continuing attempts to reduce its debt and raise more capital.

Ryanair, which has recently issued profit warnings and whose flamboyant boss, Michael O’Leary, has said that he will try in future to tone down his take-it-or-leave-it service to the airline’s passengers, has also just had permission from Russia’s federal air transport agency, Rosaviatsia, to fly to destinations in Russia from next March.

According to its website Ryanair operates 1,600 flights a day, flies to 29 countries and connects 180 destinations.