Italian airports, here's who is winning the recovery challenge in 2023
Goal met: Italy's airport system reached 2019 levels by the first half of this year, achieving [...]
Goal hit: the system of italian airports reached 2019 levels by the first half of this year, achieving better performance than even other European countries (France and Germany firstly) who have suffered most from the impact of the pandemic and travel restrictions.
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With 89.5 million passengers transited at airports in the January-June 2023 period, Italian air transport is back "on par" with the pre-Covid period-an achievement that was unimaginable just 18 months ago, according to some international analysts' recovery estimates.
Instead, in the first six months of the year - according to the report Enac (National Civil Aviation Authority)-domestic airports scored the +29% compared to 2022 and just -0.1% over the first half of 2019. In July and August 2023, therefore, an overtake over pre-Covid data is expected with The unknown whether the autumn-winter Will hold up this rate of growth.
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In fact, in June 2023 alone, there were 19.3 million passengers in Italy, or +2.6% compared with the "glorious" and distant month of June 2019.
Exploit of intercontinental travel
Overall, the first six months of 2023 record the exploit of the non-EU international traffic (growing by 63% compared to last year) and also helps the recovery of traditional carriers (+73% compared to 2022 with 36.7 million pax) compared to low cost carriers (52.5 million for a +10%).
Non-EU travel, in fact, reached a total of 20.4 million passengers; European ones reach 36.9 million; while domestic ones are worth 31.9 million pax.
In detail, however, while travel to North America has reached pre-Covid levels (-0.1%), connections to theEurope (-15%), South America and the Caribbean (-39%) and Asia-Pacific (-51%). Successful routes to Africa and the Indian Ocean (+10% over 2019) and the Middle East (+15%); while non-EU European flights score a resounding +98%.
Average airports grow the most
If the leaders of this growth are, as always, Rome Fiumicino and Milan Malpensa (with 17.8 and 11.7 million travelers, respectively) stand out from the results of the airports in Bergamo with 11.6 million passengers (+16.5% compared to June 2019), Naples (+17.3%), Bologna e Catania, first Of the fire that crippled operations at the most important airport in southern Italy.
Rome Fiumicino is increasingly confirmed as a domestic hub, reaching the 20% of all passengers transited in Italy. in the first six months of the year, followed by Malpensa with 13% and Bergamo with 9% of the total.
The Turin and Palermo "cases"
Record semester also for Turin Airport, which closed with more than 2.26 million passengers registered from January to June 2023 and files its best half-year ever (+12.5% over the same period in 2019).
June also ended with double-digit growth for the international airport Falcone Borsellino of Palermo. In the sixth month of the year, transit passengers totaled over 816 thousand, +12.5% over June 2022 (726,464) and +17% over June 2019 (699,415).
Finally, as far as international destinations are concerned, the podium of those who had the most direct flights from Italy is instead occupied by London Gatwick, Barcelona and Madrid.
