Rome Fiumicino targets 100 million passengers with €9 billion expansion plan
Rome Fiumicino enters summer 2026 after a record‑setting year, consolidating its position as a leading European hub and a key international gateway. In 2025 the airport handled 51.3 million passengers, exceeding the 50 million threshold for the first time (+4% increase vs 2024 and +18% compared with 2019) confirming the resilience of demand and the effectiveness of a strategy focused on balanced and sustainable growth.
A key contributor to this performance has been the point‑to‑point traffic, which grew by 32% compared with 2019, adding more than 10 million passengers and outperforming the European average: a trend that reflects Fiumicino’s evolution towards a more diversified and passenger‑oriented hub.
Service quality continues to underpin the airport’s competitive positioning. In 2025, Rome Fiumicino was awarded “Best Airport in Europe for Service Quality” by ACI World for the 9th year in a row and also renewed its 5‑Star Airport rating from Skytrax, highlighting an ongoing commitment to excellence in infrastructure, operations and customer experience.
From a network perspective, Fiumicino remains among the most connected airports worldwide. It ranks ninth globally for connectivity (Cirium), with a network of over 240 destinations spanning five continents, approximately 80 countries and served by 100 airlines. The long-haul segment plays an increasingly central role in this profile, with 10.8 million passengers handled in 2025 alone.
Intercontinental expansion remains central to the airport’s 2026 plans. Among the most notable developments, Alaska Airlines has selected Rome Fiumicino as its first European airport, launching the new Seattle – Rome service, alongside Delta Air Lines, strengthening connectivity with the US West Coast.
ITA Airways launches the first nonstop service between Italy and Houston, marking the carrier’s debut in the Texas market. Additional achievements include the return of Air India’s nonstop Delhi flights as well as further existing developments on intercontinental services.
Qantas will extend its Perth route, reaching a daily frequency from late June through the end of the Summer season. In Asia, Cathay Pacific will offer four weekly frequencies to Hong Kong, while Singapore Airlines expands the schedule period of its fifth weekly service. In the Americas, LATAM Airlines advances its daily São Paulo service earlier into the season, while American Airlines (Miami), Delta (Minneapolis) and United (Denver) further strengthen their presence with additional capacity.
During the peak of summer, Fiumicino will provide up to 42 daily departures to North America across 22 destinations.
Ethiopian Airlines will also additionally increase its Addis Ababa service to two flights a day.
European connectivity continues to expand as a strategic pillar. Wizz Air will base its 17th aircraft in Rome, enabling new routes including Tallinn, Alexandria, Kosice and many more. easyJet adds services to Glasgow, Birmingham, Newcastle and Belfast, while ITA Airways expands short‑haul connectivity with Marseille, Valencia and Málaga. Further additions include Norwegian (Billund), Volotea (Limoges and Oviedo) and LOT Polish Airlines (Krakow).
Leonardo da Vinci Airport faces the season with a network shaped by thoughtful expansion, strengthened connectivity and a continued focus on service quality, supporting the airport’s long‑term growth as a key global gateway.
Looking ahead, Aeroporti di Roma (ADR) is promoting a long-term vision supported by the Sustainable Development Plan for Fiumicino Airport in order to better manage the expected traffic demand through to 2046 and welcoming around 100 million passenger per year.
To support this growth, ADR has envisaged a €9 billion investment plan, entirely without public funding for new works, including major strategic airport infrastructures, such as a new terminal and a new runway, alongside additional works designed to generate tangible benefits for the surrounding area and local communities.
