Abruzzo Airport is an
international airport
An international airport is an airport with customs and border control facilities enabling passengers to travel between countries around the world. International airports are usually larger than domestic airports and they must feature longe ...
serving
Pescara, Italy. It is located approximately 4 km (2.5 miles) from the centre of Pescara, about 180 km (112 miles) from Rome, a 2-hour drive by car on a motorway across the
Apennine mountains
The Apennines or Apennine Mountains (; grc-gre, links=no, Ἀπέννινα ὄρη or Ἀπέννινον ὄρος; la, Appenninus or – a singular with plural meaning;''Apenninus'' (Greek or ) has the form of an adjective, which wou ...
. The airport is located on the state road 5
Via Tiburtina Valeria and is well connected to important road (
Autostrada A25
The Autostrada A25 Torano–Pescara is a motorway which allows travel from Torano to Pescara in Italy. Along with the A24 it is also named the ''Autostrada dei Parchi'' (“Motorway of the Parks”). It runs from the A24 near Torano, past the ...
,
Autostrada A14, SS714 Tangenziale di Pescara) and railway connections (
Rome–Sulmona–Pescara railway,
Adriatic railway
The Adriatic railway (Italian: ''Ferrovia Adriatica'') is the railway from Ancona to Lecce that runs along the Adriatic Coast of Italy, following it almost all of the way. It is one of the main lines of the Italian rail system and links the ...
).
Being the only international airport in the
Abruzzo
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 =
, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographics1_title1 =
, demographics1 ...
region, it plays a fundamental role for the transportation and aerial connection of the area and for that of neighbouring regions, catching people also from
Molise,
Marche and the
Gargano
Gargano (, Gargano Apulian Italo-Romance arˈgæːnə is a historical and geographical sub-region in the province of Foggia, Apulia, southeast Italy, consisting of a wide isolated mountain massif made of highland and several peaks and forming ...
area. The airport has seen a steady increase in the number of transit passengers over the years, mainly due to a growth in low-cost airlines and flights. The terminal built in 1996 has been extended in 2011 and recently restructured in 2018.
History
Early years
The history of the airport starts in 1917 when, after the bombing of
Pescara by bombers of the
k.u.k. Luftfahrtruppen, the aerial component of the
Austro-Hungarian Army
The Austro-Hungarian Army (, literally "Ground Forces of the Austro-Hungarians"; , literally "Imperial and Royal Army") was the ground force of the Austro-Hungarian Dual Monarchy from 1867 to 1918. It was composed of three parts: the joint arm ...
, along the
Via Tiburtina Valeria road a military airfield is built by the
Regio Esercito
The Royal Italian Army ( it, Regio Esercito, , Royal Army) was the land force of the Kingdom of Italy, established with the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy. During the 19th century Italy started to unify into one country, and in 1861 Manfre ...
, which arrived on 26 October 1917 with two
Farman 14. On 31 July 1918 the 302° Squadron is formed, equipped with biplanes
Ansaldo SVA
The Ansaldo SVA (named for Savoia-Verduzio-Ansaldo) was a family of Italian reconnaissance biplane aircraft of World War I and the decade after. Originally conceived as a fighter, the SVA was found inadequate for that role. Nevertheless, its ...
, among the best fighter-bombers of the time.
From 1921, the airport has been named after Pasquale Liberi, an aviator friend of the famous poet
Gabriele d'Annunzio. In 1927 the airport was extended to 50 hectares and modernized.
In the 1930s, with the start of commercial aviation, the airline
Società Aerea Mediterranea
Società Aerea Mediterranea (SAM) was an Italian cargo and passenger airline based in Rome, Italy, which operated between 1928 and 1939 as subsidiary of Ala Littoria and between 1959 and 1981 as subsidiary of Alitalia. It was founded on 26 March ...
(SAM) started in 1933 a triweekly service from Pescara to
Rome Urbe Airport
Rome Urbe Airport ( it, Aeroporto di Roma-Urbe, ) is a small civilian airport in Rome, situated in the northern part of the city, between Via Salaria and the Tiber River, about 2.7 NM (5 km, 3.1 mi) inside the Greater Ring Road (Italian ...
, with an intermediate stop at the airfield of Piana di Bagno near
L'Aquila.
After
WWII
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, the first airline to restart commercial service was Società anonima di navigazione aerea transadriatica (Transadriatica), which inaugurated the service Pescara-
Roma-Urbe on 5 May 1947 using a
Douglas DC-3. At the same time, Transadriatica started another interesting route:
Venezia-
Ancona
Ancona (, also , ) is a city and a seaport in the Marche region in central Italy, with a population of around 101,997 . Ancona is the capital of the province of Ancona and of the region. The city is located northeast of Rome, on the Adriatic ...
-
Pescara-
Brindisi
Brindisi ( , ) ; la, Brundisium; grc, Βρεντέσιον, translit=Brentésion; cms, Brunda), group=pron is a city in the region of Apulia in southern Italy, the capital of the province of Brindisi, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea.
Hist ...
-
Catania
Catania (, , Sicilian and ) is the second largest municipality in Sicily, after Palermo. Despite its reputation as the second city of the island, Catania is the largest Sicilian conurbation, among the largest in Italy, as evidenced also by ...
. Furthermore, the airline
Avio Linee Italiane
Avio Linee Italiane (ALI) was an Italian independent airline owned by the Fiat Group, which operated between 1926 and 1952. It was ultimately acquired by Linee Aeree Italiane (LAI). ALI was the country's only pre-World War II airline not to be n ...
decided to start a route connecting North to South Italy for the first time:
Milan-
Pescara-
Foggia-
Bari
Bari ( , ; nap, label= Barese, Bare ; lat, Barium) is the capital city of the Metropolitan City of Bari and of the Apulia region, on the Adriatic Sea, southern Italy. It is the second most important economic centre of mainland Southern Italy ...
-
Brindisi
Brindisi ( , ) ; la, Brundisium; grc, Βρεντέσιον, translit=Brentésion; cms, Brunda), group=pron is a city in the region of Apulia in southern Italy, the capital of the province of Brindisi, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea.
Hist ...
.
1960s
Itavia
Itavia was an Italian airline founded in 1958. During the 1960s it became one of the main private airlines of Italy, until its collapse in the early 1980s, following the destruction of Flight 870, also known as the Ustica disaster. Itavia was hea ...
, constituted in 1958 to operate between secondary airports not served by
Alitalia
Alitalia - Società Aerea Italiana S.p.A., operating as Alitalia (), was an Italian airline which was once the flag carrier and largest airline of Italy. The company had its head office in Fiumicino, Metropolitan City of Rome Capital. The ai ...
, opened its first route Pescara-
Roma-Urbe on 15 July 1959 with a 8-seats
de Havilland Dove. With the development of Itavia also the number of routes increased between the end of 1960s and beginning of 1970s, including
Roma
Roma or ROMA may refer to:
Places Australia
* Roma, Queensland, a town
** Roma Airport
** Roma Courthouse
** Electoral district of Roma, defunct
** Town of Roma, defunct town, now part of the Maranoa Regional Council
* Roma Street, Brisbane, a ...
,
Milano,
Ancona
Ancona (, also , ) is a city and a seaport in the Marche region in central Italy, with a population of around 101,997 . Ancona is the capital of the province of Ancona and of the region. The city is located northeast of Rome, on the Adriatic ...
,
Crotone
Crotone (, ; nap, label= Crotonese, Cutrone or ) is a city and ''comune'' in Calabria, Italy. Founded as the Achaean colony of Kroton ( grc, Κρότων or ; la, Crotona) in Magna Graecia, it was known as Cotrone from the Middle Ages until ...
,
Forlì
Forlì ( , ; rgn, Furlè ; la, Forum Livii) is a ''comune'' (municipality) and city in Emilia-Romagna, Northern Italy, and is the capital of the province of Forlì-Cesena. It is the central city of Romagna.
The city is situated along the Via E ...
,
Lecce,
Bergamo
Bergamo (; lmo, Bèrghem ; from the proto- Germanic elements *''berg +*heim'', the "mountain home") is a city in the alpine Lombardy region of northern Italy, approximately northeast of Milan, and about from Switzerland, the alpine lakes Co ...
,
Bologna,
Treviso
Treviso ( , ; vec, Trevixo) is a city and ''comune'' in the Veneto region of northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Treviso and the municipality has 84,669 inhabitants (as of September 2017). Some 3,000 live within the Veneti ...
-
Venezia,
Catania
Catania (, , Sicilian and ) is the second largest municipality in Sicily, after Palermo. Despite its reputation as the second city of the island, Catania is the largest Sicilian conurbation, among the largest in Italy, as evidenced also by ...
and
Palermo.
1970s
In 1973, the English historian
Bruce Barrymore Halpenny
Bruce Barrymore Halpenny (1937 – 3 May 2015) was an English military historian and author, specialising in airfields and aircraft, as well as ghost stories and mysteries. He was also a broadcaster''Framlington Times'' - Journal of the 390t ...
, then living in Abruzzo, organised a
British Caledonian
British Caledonian (BCal) was a British private independent airline which operated out of Gatwick Airport in south-east England during the 1970s and 1980s. It was created as an alternative to the British government-controlled corporation airlin ...
BAC 111 to take off from
Genoa Airport
Genoa ( ; it, Genova ; lij, Zêna ). is the capital of the Regions of Italy, Italian region of Liguria and the List of cities in Italy, sixth-largest city in Italy. In 2015, 594,733 people lived within the city's administrative limits. As of t ...
to
Pescara to test the feasibility of the approach and landing at Pescara of a large commercial aircraft.
[Abruzzo – Londra: è quasi una realtà Il Tempo – D'Abruzzo, editor ]Gianni Letta
Gianni Letta (born 15 April 1935) is an Italian journalist and politician. He is a close advisor of Silvio Berlusconi and a member of the advisory board of Goldman Sachs International.
Biography
After graduating in law, he started working as a ...
, 27 Ottobre 1973 – N. 294 With the British Caledonian chief pilot being an ex-
RAF pilot and Halpenny (also Ex-
RAF) on board this maneuver was successfully accomplished,
opening up the airport and the region for tourism.
Halpenny then arranged for a British Caledonian BAC 111 to take off from
Gatwick Airport
Gatwick Airport (), also known as London Gatwick , is a major international airport near Crawley, West Sussex, England, south of Central London. In 2021, Gatwick was the third-busiest airport by total passenger traffic in the UK, after He ...
, land in Pescara and return to Gatwick, demonstrating the feasibility of
commercial
Commercial may refer to:
* a dose of advertising conveyed through media (such as - for example - radio or television)
** Radio advertisement
** Television advertisement
* (adjective for:) commerce, a system of voluntary exchange of products and s ...
flights to the airport.
As of 1 February 1979,
Itavia
Itavia was an Italian airline founded in 1958. During the 1960s it became one of the main private airlines of Italy, until its collapse in the early 1980s, following the destruction of Flight 870, also known as the Ustica disaster. Itavia was hea ...
was forced to suspend its flights to
Pescara due to the revision of the minimum landing requirements on some Italian airports implemented by ANPAC, the National Association of Civil Aviation Pilots. The raise of the requirements in question (distance to the runway and altitude at which the pilot must decide whether to continue the landing) were dependent on proper radio support (such as
ILS, Instrument Landing System) and a clear view to allow the landing of aircraft in conditions of poor visibility. Such instruments were not installed at the time at the airport. Itavia itself was never going to be back at the airport, as it ceased operations in June 1980, after the
Ustica disaster.
1980s
After the dark period during which the airport did not have any connection, the situation improved with the reopening of a route to
Milano through
Ancona
Ancona (, also , ) is a city and a seaport in the Marche region in central Italy, with a population of around 101,997 . Ancona is the capital of the province of Ancona and of the region. The city is located northeast of Rome, on the Adriatic ...
, operated by
Aermediterranea, a company belonging to
Istituto per la Ricostruzione Industriale
The Istituto per la Ricostruzione Industriale (IRI; English: "Institute for Industrial Reconstruction") was an Italian public holding company established in 1933 by the Fascist regime to rescue, restructure and finance banks and private companies ...
(IRI) and controlled by Alitalia, which was operated between 1981 and 1983.
From 1984, the flight to
Milan Linate Airport was managed by another company of the Alitalia group:
Aero Trasporti Italiani
Aero Trasporti Italiani S.p.A (ATI) was an Italian airline headquartered in Naples, Italy. It was founded on 16 December 1963 as a subsidiary of Alitalia to take over secondary domestic routes in southern Italy operated by another Alitalia subsi ...
(ATI), based in
Naples. In 1988, it was the turn of Alitalia itself to operate the much-sought direct connection to Milan, using the modern
McDonnell Douglas MD-80 jetliners until 1994.
1990s
Air One
Air One S.p.A. was an Italian low-cost airline which operated as Air One "Smart Carrier". It operated as Alitalia's low-cost carrier subsidiary with operating bases located in Catania–Fontanarossa Airport, Palermo Falcone–Borsellino Airport ...
was founded as Aliadriatica in 1983 as a flight school and air taxi company for services in Abruzzo. From 1994, it was this company who took operation of the route to
Milan.
In 1996, the current terminal opened and the old building was converted for technical and logistical support. The project enabled the airport to offer more comfort and efficiency of service.
Developments since the 2000s
In 2010, Canadian airline
Air Transat
Air Transat is a Canadian airline based in Montreal, Quebec. Founded in 1986, it is the country's third-largest airline behind Air Canada and WestJet, operating scheduled and charter flights serving 60 destinations in 25 countries. Air Transa ...
began flying a seasonal nonstop flight to
Toronto operated with an
Airbus A310
The Airbus A310 is a wide-body aircraft, designed and manufactured by Airbus Industrie, then a consortium of European aerospace manufacturers.
Airbus had identified a demand for an aircraft smaller than the A300, the first twin-jet wide-bod ...
. This service was discontinued in 2012
The development of the airport, which has seen an increment of passengers from 114,000 in 2000 to over 600,000 in 2015, is mainly due to the low-cost phenomenon that has affected all of Europe and most small Italian airports, benefiting Pescara.
Today the airport has a catchment area of over 600,000 passengers annually and connects the city of
Pescara and the entire region with many Italian and European destinations, in particular with the services offered by the airlines
Ryanair
Ryanair is an Irish ultra low-cost carrier founded in 1984. It is headquartered in Swords, Dublin, Ireland and has its primary operational bases at Dublin Airport, Dublin and London Stansted Airport, London Stansted airports. It forms the lar ...
and
Volotea
Volotea (stylised VOLOTEΛ) is a Spanish low-cost airline registered in Castrillón, Asturias, Spain, with bases in Spain, Italy, France and Greece.
History
Volotea was established by Alaeo S.L. from Barcelona, a company created by former ...
.
Redevelopment and expansion plans
A series of development works have been carried out between 2008 and 2018 at the airport. Those completed at July 2019 include:
*Building of a new arrival hall (completed in September 2018);
*Building of a new departures hall with new gates, bar and toilettes (completed in November 2018);
*Redesign and expansion of the duty-free area (bar, shops, rent a car) to 7.800 m
2 (from the current 6.300 m
2) and placed in the arrival hall (completed in July 2019);
*Retrofitting and regulation works (completed in late 2008);
*Expansion of the apron 2 (completed in January 2009);
*Expansion of the airport to the west (completed in 2011);
*Building of offices and accommodation for the Flight Police Department (completed in May 2014);
*Resurfacing of the runway (completed in March 2017);
*Modernization and redesign of the parking areas (completed in November 2017);
*Building of a Business room (completed in November 2018);
*Renovation of the toilets of departures and domestic arrivals areas;
*The union of domestic and international arrivals halls;
*Modernization of the baggage belts;
*New trim and fittings in the redeveloped areas
*Expansion of the airport security and video surveillance systems;
The master plan of development and modernization of the airport includes further upgrading works of both the airside and landside areas, for an overall cost of 33 Euro million. The works include:
Landside area
*Construction of a plant for the treatment of water;
*The installation of a photovoltaic system on the roof;
*Replacement of the computer infrastructure;
*Renovation of the air conditioning system.
Airside area
*Removal of ex-military structures previously sold to privates, to increase the number of parking spaces for aircraft;
*Construction of two new hangars and a cargo area;
*Construction of new helipads for the law enforcement helicopters and a new small square for the Coast Guard;
*Lengthening of the runway and construction of a new multi-storey garage for cars;
*Rail link.
Currently the building of the old passenger terminal has been converted to a warehouse; it was employed by the airline cargo
TNT Airlines up to December 2008 and by
Maersk Air
(), also known simply as Maersk (), is a Danish shipping company, active in ocean and inland freight transportation and associated services, such as supply chain management and port operation. Maersk was the largest container shipping line a ...
until October 2010.
A journalistic investigation carried out in September 2018 revealed that Abruzzo Airport has the cheapest airport parking in Italy.
Airlines and destinations
The following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter flights at Pescara Abruzzo Airport:
Statistics
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bar:1996 from:0 till: 71
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bar:2011 from:0 till: 550
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bar:2012 from:0 till: 563
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text:Evolution in the number of passengers since 1996 (in thousands of passengers).
Ground transportation
Bus
The airport is connected to the center of Pescara with the TUA (regional public transportation company) bus lines 8 and 38, with which it is possible to reach Piazza della Repubblica, the Bus Terminal serving domestic and international destinations. The bus lines 8 and 38 pass also near the main railway station in the city,
Pescara railway station.
The airport is connected to the center of Pescara and Chieti with the TUA Chieti-Pescara line, with which it is possible to reach the university campus "G. D'Annunzio" in Chieti Scalo. The TUA stop is opposite to the pedestrian exit of the airport park on Via Tiburtina Valeria.
Cars
Coming from Rome: from
Autostrada A24
The Autostrada A24, or Autostrada dei Parchi (“Parks Motorway”), is a motorway connecting Rome to Teramo. Starting at the Grande Raccordo Anulare (GRA - the Rome orbital motorway), the A24 runs broadly north-east past L'Aquila and through ...
take the Chieti-Pescara exit which merges with the SS656 in the direction of Pescara. Then take the exit Sambuceto-Airport and follow signs to the airport.
Coming from Bologna-Ancona:
Autostrada A14, exit at Chieti-Pescara Ovest, turn immediately right (twice) to get onto the road SS5
Via Tiburtina Valeria in the direction of Pescara, then drive about 6 km (3.7 miles) until you reach the airport.
Coming from Bari-Foggia: take the
Autostrada A14 Chieti-Pescara Ovest exit, turn immediately right (twice) to get onto Strada statale 5 Via Tiburtina Valeria in the direction of Pescara, then drive about 6 km (3.7 miles) until you reach the airport.
Coming from Naples:
Autostrada A1 towards Rome, exit at
Caianello
Caianello is a '' comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Caserta in the Italian region Campania, located about northwest of Naples and about northwest of Caserta.
Caianello borders the following municipalities: Marzano Appio, Roccamonfina ...
, follow the signs to
Isernia, arrived at Isernia go to
Vasto
Vasto ( Abruzzese: '; grc, Ἱστόνιον, Histonion}, la, Histonium) is a ''comune'' on the Adriatic coast of the Province of Chieti, in southern Abruzzo, Italy. During the Middle Ages it was called d''Guastaymonis'', '' Vasto d'Aimone'' or ...
until you see the
Autostrada A14 signs. From the Autostrada A14, exit at Chieti-Pescara Ovest, turn immediately right (twice) to join the Strada statale 5 Via Tiburtina Valeria in the direction of Pescara, then drive about 6 km (3.7 miles) until you reach the airport.
Trolley-line
In addition, the airport will soon be served by the new trolley-line currently under construction, which will connect Pescara and its points of reference such as
Pescara railway station and other neighboring towns such as
Montesilvano
Montesilvano () is a city and '' comune'' of the province of Pescara in the Abruzzo region of Italy. Abruzzo often called Mare-Monti (Sea-Mountain) region. The name Montesilvano is apparently derived from the Latin which means "woody hill" ("wo ...
and
Francavilla al Mare
Francavilla al Mare () is a ''comune'' and town in the province of Chieti, in the Abruzzo region of Italy.
The municipality, included in the urban area of Pescara, borders with Chieti, Miglianico, Ortona, Pescara, Ripa Teatina, San Giovanni ...
.
See also
*
List of airports in Italy
This is a list of airports in Italy, grouped by region and sorted by location.
Airports
Airport names shown in bold have scheduled passenger service on commercial airlines.
See also
* Transport in Italy
* List of airports by ICAO code: L#LI ...
References
External links
*
*
{{authority control
Airports in Italy
Pescara
Transport in Abruzzo
Buildings and structures in Abruzzo
Abruzzo
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Airports in Italy by region
Tourism in Abruzzo