Danish Air Transport (DAT): The Danish Airline That Also Flies in Sicily and the Marche

A bigger group than it seems

Behind the DAT brand is DAT A/S, a private Danish company that also controls the Lithuanian subsidiary DAT LT and holds 60% of Nordic Regional Airlines: a group with operating bases not only in Denmark but also in Palermo and Ancona in Italy, in Oslo in Norway and in Saarbrücken in Germany.

A fleet with a double register

For the shortest regional routes DAT uses a fleet of ATR turboprops — 4 ATR 42-300s, 5 ATR 42-500s, 4 ATR 72-200s and 4 ATR 72-600s — while on longer, higher-demand routes it operates 5 Airbus A320s and 1 Airbus A321, a mix that lets it cover both low-traffic local links and busier Scandinavian routes.

From Scandinavia to Italian Public Service Obligation (PSO) Routes

Besides the Scandinavian network, DAT operates in Italy the PSO routes covered by the "Voli di Sicilia" and "Voli delle Marche" tenders, a role similar to that which other regional carriers have on subsidized routes in other European countries. It is a little-known aspect of the airline for those who know it only from the direct Scandinavian flights to Bornholm.

What passengers say

Reviews of DAT vary widely depending on the route: on Danish regional links the service is described as reliable and punctual, while on the Italian PSO routes the most common complaints concern the limited capacity of the ATRs in periods of high demand and the difficulty of finding available seats at the subsidized fare close to departure.

For those who live on Bornholm or in one of the Scandinavian areas covered by its ATRs, DAT remains the most direct link available, as it does for those flying on public service obligation (PSO) routes from Sicily or the Marche. Those looking for broad fare flexibility will find less room to maneuver: on subsidized routes, seats at the reduced fare sell out quickly.

If you fly on PSO routes in Italy, book as soon as possible after sales open: seats at the capped price set by the public tender are limited in number on each flight.