The largest airports in Italy for passenger traffic

Photo of Badudoy. A trip is desired and expected for a long time and perhaps you really realize that you are leaving only when you are heading for the airport, ready to leave home to reach the places we have always dreamed of. On the national territory there are so many airports and connect Italy with the rest of Europe and the world, shortening the distances with those countries that would otherwise be too far to reach by car or by land.

But have you ever wondered which are the busiest airports? Here is a list of the largest airports in Italy for passenger traffic!

NB: The following ranking is based on data collected by the Airports Council International (ACI) with the most recent update (2019). These data take into account arriving passengers, departing passengers and those in direct transit.

1 – Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport, Rome

Photo by © Ra Boe / Wikipedia. Fiumicino ranks first as the largest airport for passenger traffic, with 43,532,573 passengers in 2019. It is also one of the two international hubs of Italy, together with Milan Malpensa, as well as being the main hub of Alitalia.
It consists of well 4 terminals, which are T1, T2, T3 and T5, of which T2 is the smallest, while T3 is the largest, where 80 airlines land and national, European and international flights depart.

It is located about 32 km from the center of Rome and is located near the sea. From here you can reach easily the center thanks to trains, buses and taxis. In addition, it has a large parking area for every need.

2 – Milan Malepensa Airport, Milan

Photo by Carlo Dani. In second place we find Malpensa airport, with a traffic of 28,846,299 passengers a year. And the Milan’s largest airport and one of the two Italian international hubs together with Rome’s Fiumicino Airport. It is equipped with two different terminals, Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, plus a terminal used exclusively for cargo flights called Malpensa Cargo City. Terminal 1 is the largest and is served by many companies, while Terminal 2 is for the exclusive use of Easy Jet.

Malpensa airport is further away from Milan than Linate airport and also Orio al Serio airport. It is 57 km away and you can reach the city by taxi, by train by bus. If you travel by car you can use the large car parks, the official ones are 5 and can hold up to 9,000 cars.

3 – Orio al Serio Airport, Bergamo

Photo by Luigi Chiesa. We go up to the podium. In third place, with a transit of 13,857,257 passengers, we find the Milan-Bergamo airport, outside the city of Bergamo, about 50 km from Milan. It is also known as Il Caravaggio International Airport, it consists of a single large terminal and has grown mainly thanks to growth of low cost airlines, many of which serve the airport.

It is located 6 km from Bergamo, which can be reached by bus or taxi, with the possibility of collective taxis. From Milan, however, it is about 50 km away and you can always travel by bus or taxi. The airport does not have a train station, to take the train you will necessarily have to reach Bergamo.

4 – Venice-Marco Polo Airport, Venice

Photo by Yoshimasa Niwa. One step away from the podium, with passengers, we find the Venice airport, which serves the city and all of the Triveneto. There are other airports in the area, such as that of Venice-Treviso, but this is the busiest and with the greatest number of national, European and international flights. It consists of a single terminal, which is spread over 3 different levels: on the ground floor there are check-ins from number 63 to 99 and arrivals, while on the first floor there are security checks and check-ins from number 1 to 62. The gates are divided between the two floors. The second floor is reserved for VIP lounges, shops and restaurants.

It is located on the mainland 13 km from Venice and is well linked also to the other cities of the Triveneto. To reach Venice you can use the bus, the normal taxi or the water taxi. In addition, it has ample parking space, both for short and long-term parking.

5 – Naples International Airport, Naples

Photo of Alpha 350. In fifth place, on the other hand, with 10,860,068 passengers per year, we find the Naples airport. This is the most important airport in Southern Italy, where the greatest number of passengers pass. Also known as Capodichino Airport, it consists of a single terminal, divided into two parts: a departures area and an arrivals area.

It is located in the Capodichino district, just 5 km from Naples, reachable by taxi or bus. There is no rail link available. Moving by car, on the other hand, you can rely on the various official car parks divided into short and long stops.

6 – Fontanarossa Airport, Catania

Source: wikipedia. And the most important Sicilian airport and the second largest in southern Italy, after that of Naples. It currently consists of only one terminal where there are both arrivals and departures, but the airport is undergoing renovations and renovations. Eventually there will be three different terminals, indicated by A, B and C and passenger services will be increased.

It is located about 10 km from the center of Catania and to reach it you can use the bus or taxi, there are no trains available. If, on the other hand, you travel by car, the airport has three car parks, two for short-term parking up to one day and one for long-term parking.

7 – Guglielmo Marconi Airport, Bologna

Photo by Marcomob. This international airport it also serves all the neighboring areas of Emilia Romagna and is well connected to several cities. It consists of a single terminal, recently renovated and refurbished, to guarantee all passenger services. It develops on two floors, where arrivals and check-ins are located on the ground floor, while all the controls and gates are located on the upper floor.

The airport is only 6 km from the center of Bologna and the best way to reach it is the shuttle bus, alternatively you can use the numerous taxis. If you travel by car, the airport has 7 official car parks, divided between short-term and long-term car parks.

8 – Falcone-Borsellino Airport, Palermo

Photo by Carlo Dani. In eighth place, with 7,018,087 passengers, we find the airport of Palermo, in Sicily. And the second airport in Sicily by traffic and the third in southern Italy, after that of Naples and Catania. It consists of a single terminal on several floors: on the ground floor there are arrivals, while the departures terminal is spread over the two highest floors, one dedicated to check-in, one to controls and boarding, here are also all the gates.

The airport is located in the municipality of Cinisi, about 35 km from Palermo. To reach the city you can take advantage of trains, buses, taxis. If you reach the airport by car, you can leave it in the 4 official car parks. For long-term parking, the most convenient is the long-term parking P3.

9 – Milan Linate Airport, Milan

Source: wikimedia commons. This is the second airport in the city of Milan, after the most popular one in Milan Malpensa. Approximately 6,570,984 passengers pass through the year. The airport consists of a single terminal, which includes both departures and arrivals, open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and full of services, even for those who have to face business and business trips.

The airport is located about 8 km from the center of Milan, which you can reach easily by bus and taxi. For those who travel by car and have to leave it at the airport, they can take advantage of three official car parks or the farther low cost car parks.

10 – Rome Ciampino Airport, Rome

Photo of Badudoy. It is named after Giovan Battista Pastine, a pilot who served during the First World War. It is thelow cost airport of the Italian capital and is affected by a traffic of 5,879,496 passengers in the last year.
It consists of a single terminal passengers, divided between departures and arrivals, all arranged on one floor.

It is located about 20 km from the center of Rome and is easily accessible by train, bus or taxi. It also has many parking solutions, both long-term and short-term, for those traveling by car.