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29th March 2005 - An airship is looking for a house, the airship hangar of Augusta is now into the programs of one of the most important world-wide companies supplying control services and tourist lines through airships. On Easter Day the Skycruisers Group visited the hangar park, thinking that it could be used as an operational base, after about one hundred years from its construction and thanks to the return of the air giants. Waiting for the definition of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Municipality of Augusta, the only institution currently supporting the Hangar Team Association and its social purposes, this is an important step towards a probable future of the hangar. "The association, - an official notice says - after the contacts with some technicians from the university of Nagoya, specialized in the restoration of buildings made up in concrete, has been contacted by some of the most important flight companies owing airships. Some days ago a high representative of the Skycruise Group company, attracted by the Internet site made available by Augustaonline, asked to have a meeting to inspect the place. On Sunday morning three technicians of the company were able to visit the park, accompanied by some of the association partners" The Skycruise Group was established in 1986, it owns some branches in Switzerland, in the United States and in Great Britain. It is currently one of the world-wide leaders of airship services and receives commissions from big companies as NBC, Fujfilm and governments. They are back from the Olympic Games in Athens, where they were in charge of the anti-terrorism control and air surveys for the whole period of the games, 24 hours a day. It is an airship flight advanced organization supplying the following services: control on the territory, antipollution, coastal control, research and communications. . "The hangar, with its swinging rooms - Hans Plantenga, representative of the company said - with a mild climate throughout the year, would be an ideal base for our means. We could perform maintenance very easily and offer a line and excursions service to Siracusa, Etna, Taormina, Malta, resorts which are very close to the park. Currently the hangar is not in safety conditions, but we could take advantage of the open spaces to park the airship, attracting huge tourists flows. Our presence could also offer a lot of new jobs to local people, as well any additional activity which could be started by such new operation". "The association, aware of any bureaucratic difficulties involved - the partners explained - which do not allow an immediate use of the hangar, will make use of all its own energies and ability in order not to loose such a special occasion for the town. This would be a great success for the Hangar Team and for all those people who believe in its restoration and revaluation."
Gianni D'Anna
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