A total traffic of over 23 million passengers in 2024, with an increase of approximately 13 percent compared to the previous year. This is the data on Sicilian airports reported by Assaeroporti, the Italian Association of Airport Managers, in the final report published today. In particular, among the ten busiest airports in Italy are Catania, in fifth place, with 12,346,530 passengers; and Palermo, in ninth place, with 8,921,833 passengers. “The numbers speak for themselves, Sicily is flying high. A flattering performance – comments the regional councilor for Infrastructure and Mobility Alessandro Aricò – which was also possible thanks to the work of the Schifani government which invested in the modernization of the island’s airports and which activated an incisive policy to combat the high cost of flights, which over 500 thousand Sicilians have joined, receiving discounts of up to 50 percent of the cost of the ticket. For the Christmas…

On 9 December, the renovation work of the VIP Lounge SAC (Società Aeroporto Catania) began. This is an important expansion of the airport lounge of the city of Etnea, which will go from the current 70 square meters to 400 square meters, with the addition of 200 new seats. The works will be completed by May 2025. During this period, the Fast Track service will remain available to passengers of the airlines that use it, guaranteeing priority access to security checks. In addition, VIP card holders will be able to use the ITA Airways Lounge. “The renovation and expansion of the SAC VIP Lounge – said Nico Torrisi, CEO of SAC – represent a fundamental piece in our development plan, aimed at making the airport increasingly competitive and attractive. Investing in modern and functional infrastructure is a strategic choice to improve the passenger experience and consolidate the central role that…

For the Christmas holidays, Palermo’s Falcone Borsellino International Airport will see an increase of about 21 thousand passengers in the period from 23 December 2024 to 7 January 2025 compared to the same period in the years 2023/2024. In total, traffic expectations indicate that in the period under review there will be over 161 thousand passengers in transit compared to 140 thousand last year, or +15.13%. According to forecasts drawn up by Gesap, the company managing the Palermo airport, there will be an increase of 15.17%, approximately 17 thousand more passengers, in domestic flights, while travelers on international flights will increase by 14.98%, about 4,600 more. Numbers that go hand in hand with the good performance of the winter season, which makes 8% more seats available to passengers than last winter and which also records peaks of over 20 thousand passengers per day with average fillings of 150 passengers per…

Gibellina is the first city to be “Italian capital of contemporary art”, winner of the Portami il futuro project, which saw the participation of 23 cities, including Carrara, Gallarate, Pescara and Todi. The title “Italian capital of contemporary art” was introduced this year by the Ministry of Culture and the winner will receive one million euros funded by the Ministry of Culture. «I express deep satisfaction for the proclamation of Gibellina as Italian capital of contemporary art 2026. This recognition celebrates a city that is a symbol of cultural and architectural rebirth, a place that, from the tragedy of the earthquake, has been able to rise again as an international point of reference for contemporary art and creative innovation. The choice of the Trapani town underlines not only the historical and cultural importance of this Sicilian municipality, but also the incredible contribution of our region to the national artistic panorama».…

The growth trend of the Falcone Borsellino international airport of Palermo continues, which in September is approaching one million passengers in transit. After the record numbers of July and August, with over one million passengers per month, in September the airport recorded 922,536 travellers, marking an increase of 10.71% compared to September 2023 (833,312) and 21.67% compared to September 2022 (758,259). Domestic passenger traffic accounted for 64.91% (598,820) of the total for September and 67.70% (4,705,459) for January-September. International traffic accounted for 35.09% (323,716) in September and 32.30% for the annual progressive (January-September), with 2,245,282 travellers. The good traffic performance also concerns flights: +7.93% on September 2023 (6,163 out of 5,710). In the first nine months of 2024, Palermo airport totalled 6,950,741 passengers, +10.04% on January-September 2023 (6,316,841), while the increase in flights was +10.50% (47,977 against 43,417 in 2023). «The double-digit growth continues for Palermo airport, which is now…

The Falcone Borsellino will see a 13% increase in frequencies and, from June, will inaugurate the new connection with New York There are 90 destinations that will connect 26 countries with the Falcone Borsellino International Airport in Palermo: 26 national routes and 64 international. 35 airlines will fly millions of passengers from the Palermo airport. In the 2024 summer season, new connections to New York (Neos Air, starting from June 9), Poznan (Ryanair) and Brest (Volotea) will also arrive at Falcone Borsellino, while Porto (easyJet) doubles the frequency. There is also the increase from four to six weekly frequencies of Turkish Airlines’ Palermo-Istanbul. The summer flight schedule consists of: 26 national routes: Alghero (Ryanair), Ancona (Volotea), Bari (Ryanair), Bergamo (Ryanair), Bologna (Ryanair), Brindisi (Ryanair), Cagliari (Ryanair), Cuneo (Ryanair), Florence (Vueling, Volotea), Forlì (Ryanair), Genoa (Ryanair), Lampedusa (DAT), Milan Linate (ITA Airways), Milan Malpensa (Ryanair, EasyJet), Naples (Ryanair, EasyJet, Volotea), Olbia…

Last May 11, with a solemn ceremony, the airport celebrated its historic anniversary Last May 11th, Catania Airport celebrated its 100 years, reaching an important historical milestone for an infrastructure which, since its birth, has contributed to the development not only of the city of Catania, but of the entire Sicilian Region. “We look at the road traveled with profound gratitude, remembering the successes, the challenges overcome and the role of our airport in the economic, social and cultural growth of our community,” said Giovanna Candura, president of SAC (Catania Airport Company), during the celebrations. “The airport is in all respects an identifying feature of our land and a bridge that brings our culture, our tradition and our excellence to the whole world”. The ceremony concluded with the unveiling of the commemorative plaque and the presentation of the book “In volo da Catania. Oltre un secolo di storia”, an important…

The regional Tourism councilor explains what investments are being made to improve services and increase presences in Sicily in all months of the year From the increase in tourism in recent years in Sicily to the construction of new infrastructures to improve services, from the Messina Bridge to the deseasonalization of tourist flows, there are many important issues for the future of Sicilian tourism. We forwarded our questions on these topics to the Regional Tourism Councilor Elvira Amata. Here are the answers she sent to our editorial staff. Sicily has had a strong increase in tourism, especially foreign tourism, in the last two years. What are the reasons for this growth? The result obtained is the result of the effectiveness of the sector policies put in place by the Department and of the work done in terms of identifying the target markets and actions to promote the destination. Particular attention…

Two Sicilian beaches among the most beautiful in the world. This is what emerges from Tripadvisor’s annual ranking drawn up on the basis of its users’ reviews. The two Sicilian places are located in Lampedusa and Marsala and are respectively the Spiaggia dei Conigli and the Lido Marakaibbo.The Rabbit beach of Lampedusa has always been among the most popular destinations for tourists, with crystal clear water and a paradisiacal setting, and this year it ranks second in an overall ranking of twenty-five. Of great importance and much chosen by tourists, the Marakaibbo lido also offers days of complete relaxation in a landscape in the Trapani area that has a lot to offer. Below are the reviews left on Tripadvisor for both locations: «Incredible blue waters and white sand are the backdrop. It is a quiet beach, perfect for relaxing, sunbathing and swimming. There is plenty of marine wildlife to discover…

In the period from 30 March to 2 April an increase in presences in Sicily of around +1.5% is expected compared to last year. And the driving force is above all foreign presences, growing by +2.3% over 2023.The data emerges from a survey conducted by the Florence Tourist Studies Center for Assoturismo Confesercenti, on a sample of 1,308 Italian hospitality businesses.59% of tourist presences in Sicily will be foreigners, a percentage that has significantly increased (+2.3%) compared to recent years. Internal travel, on the other hand, is slightly down (-0.8%), due to the reduction in purchasing power, which affects budgets and consumption choices.Italian demand mainly affects coastal, spa and ‘other interest’ locations. Foreign tourists, on the other hand, prefer cities/art centers or countryside/hill, lake and mountain locations. The nationalities of origin are mainly European: Germans more inclined to a holiday in contact with nature, the French who prefer cities of…