Italy's Largest and Busiest Hub in Fiumicino

slide 2

Introduction

Located in Fiumicino approximately 35 km from central Rome, Leonardo da Vinci airport is the largest and busiest in Italy. The airport IATA airport code is FCO and ICAO code is LIRF. It latitude (DD) location is 41.80444 and longitude (DD) is 12.250883. In 2019, it served more than 43 million people. It was ranked 11th busiest airport in Europe. It is the larger of the two Rome’s airports the other being Ciampino airport that generally serves general aviation and charter airlines. The airport was inaugurated on 15 January 1961 replacing the smaller Rome Ciampino Airport, that remained in service for domestic and charter operations. It had two runways at time of commissioning, highlighting its significant infrastructure development in the context of civil engineering dissertation help.

Runways-slide 3

It was three runways (7/25, 16L/34R, and 16R/34L) and taxiway (16C/34C).

Terminals-slide 4

It has four terminals, namely Terminal 1, Terminal 2, Terminal 3, and Terminal 5. Terminal 1 is dedicated to major airlines that include Alitalia, Air France, and KLM for domestic flights and those within Europe’s Schengen Area. Terminal 2, on the other hand, handles domestic, Schengen, and budget flights operating non-Schengen flights. Terminal 3 handles various national and international flights operating domestic, Schengen, and non-Schengen flights. While Terminal 5 handles check-in of American carrier flights. The airport has eight boarding areas, namely boarding area A – H.

Services Infrastructure- slide 5

The airport is connected directly to Rome by A90 ring road and E80/A91. A shuttle services linking the four terminals and car parks has been constructed to ease the passengers’ movement. Additionally, the airport has an express train services running every 30 minutes to Rome’s Termini railway station. The train also connects station that include Tiburtina station (running after every 15 minutes), Fara, Sabina, Orte, and Mirteto.

All terminals have facilities offering services such as banking, bureaux de change, ATMs, shopping, duty-free outlets, food, and luggage. Other facilities offered include conference and business rooms, communication facilities - Wi-Fi and postal services, car parking, and car rental. The terminals are interconnected by walkways making it easier for travellers to reach check-in areas from bus drop-off points and railroad stations. The Leonardo Express train is a first class train running directly without intermediate stops between termini (Rome’s main railroad station) and airport (Airport Technology, 2021). The train departs at 15 -30 minutes-interval taking approximately 32 minutes. In attempt to incentives the use of the train, the travellers using it are given discount on cheaper access to VIP lounges and ‘Fast Track’ security line. Additionally, the airport is connected by regional train FL1 running from Fiumicino Airport railway station to Tuscolona, Rome’s Trastevere, and Piramide/Ostiense stations. Using Taxi services, it takes approximately 30 mins from the airport to Rome without traffic.

The hotels at the airport such as Hilton Rome Airport offer convenience and comfort. The hotel proximity to the terminals, shops, restaurants, and train station gives the passengers to convenience of check-in and catching flights particularly in early mornings. Collectively, consumer-centre operations that ensure their satisfactions is core to business operations (Fernandes, and Pacheco, 2007). This include airport management major because of its fragile nature and that of airline, evident by the pandemic.

Slide 6- Airport Operations

It is main hub airport for international and charter intercontinental traffic. The airport serves approximately 150 international and domestic airlines. It operates over 100 airlines to more than 230 destinations. It is hub for ITA airways, an Italian state-owned flag carrier, and Vueling. The airport was hub to Alitalia flag carrier and largest Italian Airline – before terminating operations on 15th Oct. 2021. It is also city focus for following airlines: Blue Panorama, Ryanair, Norwegian Air, Neos, and Poste Air Cargo.

Slide 7: Airport Successes

In decades following its commissioning, the airport with collaboration with Alitalia, invested heavily in the new airport infrastructure including hangars, maintenance centres, and a third runway

The airport has undergone number of upgrade and expansion over the years. This includes

1991 - domestic pier (Pier A) with 12 loading bridges was opened

1995 – international pier (Pier B) with 10 loading bridges opened

1999 – west satellite (C) with 11 loading bridges opened

Opened sky-bridge train connecting to satellite c to main terminal

2000: - opened new domestic terminal (terminal A)

2004: - Opened new cargo terminal (Cargo City)

2005: It installed category III B instrument landing system (ILS)

2007: - Upgraded to be able to handle 30 takeoffs/landings per hour up from 10

2008: - Opened terminal 5 serving check-in of American carrier flights

Opened EI-AI – transporting passengers from terminal 5 to main terminal

Commitment to build new pier C

2009: Terminals renamed – A renamed to T1, AA to T2, B and C to T3

2010:- launch of new single Baggage Handling System (BHS) aimed to improve efficiency

Collectively, this were undertaken to increase efficient and number of flights handled per day

Slide 8: Contemporary challenges- COVID-19

Following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, and subsequent national-wide lock in Italy, the flights in and out of country were temporarily stopped affecting the number of passengers handled by the airport. The number fell from 43.3 million in 2019 to 9.8 million in 2020 (Statista, 2021). However, during that period, the airport instituted strict measures to combat the virus spread that include 1-meter minimum distance between all passengers, mandatory face covering at all times, and health checks for all passengers. The airport was awarded ‘the COVID-19 5-star Airport Rating’ from Skytrax on the manner in which it handled the pandemic crisis. According to Skytrax, an intenational airport industry rakings body, the airport’s measures that include procedural checks, observation analysis, and ATP sampling were highly efficient

Slide 9: Future Airport Expansion and Sustainability

The airport plans to expand to the north through acquisition of new airport land. This is done in projected increased passengers to approximately 50 million by 2022. In Master Plan Fiumicino Nord, it outlines plans expand the airport by adding four new terminals and two runways by 2044 in preparation of increased passengers to 100 million/year. The development plans are based on the flexibility and high degree of intermodality link between the airport and Rome. The airport has planned to construct additional 16 loading bridges dedicated for international flights. The new infrastructure that include public transportation, integrated and connected underground network, and expanded taxi networks will provide convenient way of moving to and out of the airport.

In attempt to compile with social corporate responsibility, it is committed to completion of environment-friendly co-generation system that allows the airport to generate clean energy (de Rubeis et al., 2016). The airport aims to integrate self-generation of energy (electricity), use of renewable sources, and integrated management of the recycling of waste as part of environmental compensation works (Airport Suppliers, 2021). As more consumers become environment conscious, it is prudent for organisation to adopt environment-oriented practices (Koç, and Durmaz, 2015)

Slide 10: Conclusion

References

• Airport Suppliers, 2021. Rome–Fiumicino International Airport "Leonardo da Vinci" - Airport Suppliers. [online] Airport Suppliers. Available at: [Accessed 26 October 2021].
• Airport Technology, 2021. Leonardo da Vinci Airport (FCO/LIRF) - Airport Technology. [online] Airport-technology.com. Available at: [Accessed 26 October 2021].
• de Rubeis, T., Nardi, I., Paoletti, D., Di Leonardo, A., Ambrosini, D., Poli, R. and Sfarra, S., 2016. Multi-year consumption analysis and innovative energy perspectives: the case study of Leonardo da Vinci International Airport of Rome. Energy Conversion and Management, 128, pp.261-272.
• Fernandes, E. and Pacheco, R.R., 2007. Airport management: a strategic approach. Transportation, 34(1), pp.129-142.
• Imboden, D., 2021. Rome Fiumicino Airport | Rome for Visitors. [online] Europeforvisitors.com. Available at: [Accessed 26 October 2021].
• Koç, S. and Durmaz, V., 2015. Airport corporate sustainability: an analysis of indicators reported in the sustainability practices. Procedia-social and behavioral sciences, 181, pp.158-170.
• Marcus, L., 2020. Rome's Fiumicino Airport awarded world's first five-star anti-Covid award. [online] CNN. Available at: [Accessed 26 October 2021].
• Statista, 2021. Italy: passengers traveling through Rome Fiumicino Airport 2010-2020 | Statista. [online] Statista. Available at: [Accessed 26 October 2021].