How many airports are there in Sicily?

There are eight airports in Sicily, but Boccadifalco in Palermo is only open to private traffic, while Sigonella, near Catania, is a US military airport.

There are six airports open to commercial traffic. Let’s discover them one by one.

Catania Fontanarossa Airport

The official name of Catania’s airport is Vincenzo Bellini, but it is better known as Fontanarossa, after the district in which it is located, just over 5 km from the city centre. Given its proximity to the centre, it can easily be reached by public transport.

Both the city bus, which takes about 10 minutes, and the regional train, that runs between Messina and Siracusa, stop at the airport.

It is one of the busiest airports in Italy and the most important in southern Italy in terms of passenger traffic. It receives most of the tourist traffic in Sicily. It is an international airport, serving both domestic and international traffic, including to and from countries outside Europe.

Being close to Mount Etna, the airport is sometimes forced to close for a few hours during an eruption for safety reasons and to clear the runway of volcanic ash. However, it remains the ideal stopover for visiting the eastern part of the island.

Palermo Airport

Palermo airport is dedicated to Falcone and Borsellino but, also in this case, it is more commonly known by another name: Punta Raisi, after the name of the area in which it is located. Although it has less traffic than Catania, it serves the entire western part of the island.

It is linked to the city by the A29 motorway, private bus lines and the local train. It is about 30 km from the capital.

Trapani Airport

Although smaller than Palermo and Catania, Trapani-Birgi airport, named after Vincenzo Florio, is very busy, especially in the summer when low-cost airlines increase their flights to tourist destinations in this area of Sicily.

Located just 15 km from the centre of Trapani, it is convenient for visiting the whole area as well as the Egadi Islands.

Comiso Airport

Just 8 km from Comiso and about 25 km from Ragusa, Comiso airport is in a very convenient position for visiting the south-east of the island. Originally a military airport, and named after Pio la Torre, it is still a rather small hub that welcomes a limited number of national and European flights.

Only in recent years has it been connected to Ragusa and Catania by public transport. Before that, it was only accessible by car.

Lampedusa Airport

As a rather remote island in Sicily, Lampedusa needed an airport first and foremost to ensure its residents had a link to the mainland.

In fact, residents can count on daily flights to Palermo and Trapani. Naturally, tourists can also take advantage of this connection. The alternative is the boat, which does not guarantee a service in rough sea conditions.

Pantelleria Airport

Pantelleria airport is also mainly used by local people who need to get to Sicily or other destinations and have only the sea connection as an alternative. In the summer season, however, it is also used by visitors who go to the island on holiday.

Article translated by Jasmina Towers

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Curiosities

Transport and Mobility

Travel

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