summary
- Rome Fiumicino Airport (FCO) is Italy’s largest airport and serves as a global hub for ITA Airlines and other airlines.
- Milan Malpensa Airport (MXP) is Italy’s second largest airport and is a major cargo destination, serving as a hub for several cargo airlines.
- Milan’s Orio al Serio International Airport (BGY) focuses on leisure travel and is the main hub for low-cost airline Ryanair.
With over 190 million passengers in 2019, before the pandemic, Italy definitely has a thriving commercial aviation industry. With multiple airports serving as global hubs and the emergence of ITA Airlines, the country’s new flag carrier after the collapse of Alitalia, Italy’s aviation industry is set to flourish in the coming years. Moreover, with ITA’s impending acquisition by the Lufthansa Group, the Italian airline’s global footprint is likely to expand even further in his decade.
There are some airports in Italy that stand out from others in terms of passenger numbers. These airports are truly global hubs, with flights connecting Italy to destinations around the world, and unsurprisingly, many of them are hubs for the flag carrier ITA Airlines. In this article, we will take a closer look at his five largest airports in Italy by number of passengers. Statista database.
1 Rome Fiumicino Airport (FCO)
Peak passenger numbers: 43.5 million
Hub: | ITA Airlines |
Focus cities: | Neos, Ryanair, Vueling, Wizz Air |
It is no surprise that Italy’s largest and largest airport is located in the country’s capital and is one of the largest airports in the world, serving more than 40 million passengers on an annual basis. The airport has been recognized by Airports Council International (ACI) and has been named “Best Airport” three years in a row.
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Dozens of airlines fly to Rome, connecting it to destinations around the world. Rome’s main airports are London Heathrow (LHR), Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG), and Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS). It is one of Europe’s largest hub airports. The airport serves as the main hub for flag carrier ITA Airlines, as well as an operational hub for Italian airline Neos and ultra-low-cost carriers Ryanair and Wizz Air.
Services at Rome’s Fiumicino Airport continue to expand faster than ever. Just this week, flag carrier ITA Airlines officially launched daily Airbus A321neo flights between Rome and London.
2 Milan Malpensa Airport (MXP)
Peak passenger numbers: 28 million
Hub: | Cargolux, DHL Aviation, FedEx Express |
Focus cities: | Amazon Air, Neos, Ryanair, Wizz Air |
Milan’s main airport, like the city itself, is the second largest in Italy. In 2019, more than 28 million passengers passed through the facility’s doors, making this airport one of the largest and busiest in all of Europe.
The airport is home to a major cargo hub, with Cargolux, DHL Aviation, and US-based FedEx Express operating major hubs of cargo operations at this facility. Other cargo airlines such as Amazon Air also maintain a strong presence at the airport.
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In terms of passenger business, the largest airlines other than MXP are primarily low-cost, leisure-focused airlines such as Ryanair and easyJet. There are two other major airports in the Milan region, the three of which together form the Milan Airport System, which serves approximately 42 million passengers a year.
Flag carrier ITA Airlines is reducing its presence in Milan Malpensa. The airline operates seasonal flights to Cagliari and currently operates transatlantic flights to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), but this service is scheduled to end in January next year. be.
3 Orio Al Serio International Airport (BGY)
Peak passenger numbers: 13.8 million
Hub: | Ryanair, Aero Italia |
Focus cities: | albastar |
Also known as Bergamo International Airport, it is the second largest of Milan’s three airports and the third busiest in all of Italy. The airport’s operations are generally focused on leisure travel, best evidenced by the fact that the facility serves as a major hub for low-cost airline Ryanair.
Additionally, the airport’s traffic peaked in 2019 and will almost reach that number in 2022, with 13.2 million passengers using the airport last year. The rapid post-pandemic recovery and the small difference in these passenger numbers further emphasize the presence of leisure-focused airlines at airports.
Four Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE)
Number of passengers at peak hour: 11.51 million
Hub: | none |
Focus cities: | Wizz Air, EasyJet, Ryanair, Volotea |
Despite being one of the biggest tourist destinations in all of Europe, Venice only ranks 4th on this list. Additionally, traditional large airlines and low-cost carriers do not operate hubs outside of airports. Passenger numbers continued to increase over time as the airport’s services continued to expand. As Simple Flying reported last year, Ryanair has become the largest airline at Venice’s largest airport.
Low-cost airlines such as Wizz Air, EasyJet and Ryanair have been quick to capitalize on the leisure demand for the port city, and all maintain bases there. In addition, Ryanair has an office at Treviso Airport (TSF), approximately 30 kilometers (19 miles) from the city.
Five Catania Airport (CTA)
Number of passengers at peak time: 10.15 million
Hub: | none |
Focus cities: | Ryanair, Wizz Air |
Catania Airport is the largest airport on the Italian island of Sicily, with more than 10 million passengers passing through it in 2019. The airport has a strong focus on leisure travel, as low-cost carriers Ryanair and Wizz Air have hubs here. .
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However, despite all major European airlines having extensive operations, none maintain a hub at this airport. From Catania, flag carrier ITA Airlines flies to both Rome and Milan hubs.