Between one era and another: to which air transport?
"Between one era and another: to which air transport?" is the title of the conference promoted by ENAC in collaboration with the University of Bergamo, on the occasion of the presentation of the Fact Book 2026, the annual report of the ITSM - ICCSAI Transport and Sustainable Mobility Center, now in its twentieth edition.
For twenty years, the Fact Book has been a tool for scientific analysis and an authoritative reference for reading the evolution of air transport, through data, trends and scenarios useful for understanding a strategic sector for mobility, the economy and the connectivity of territories. On the occasion of this anniversary, ENAC promotes a high-profile institutional and academic event, bringing together representatives of institutions, the political world, the aeronautical and airport industry and universities.
The conference will be an opportunity to discuss the current state of air transport and the prospects of a sector that is in a decisive transition phase. After the most complex years for the sector, air traffic has also exceeded the levels of 2019 at European level, both in the passenger and cargo segments. Italy is confirmed as a fast-growing market, with an increasingly important role within the European scenario.
The new phase of air transport, however, will not be determined only by the recovery of volumes. The next "era" of the sector will have investments as a central element. Timely and consistent interventions will be needed to accompany sustainable growth, improve the efficiency of the system, respond to demographic changes in an ageing society and exploit the opportunities offered by new technologies.
For passengers, these issues are not abstract: they directly concern the quality of travel, the ability of airports to manage increasing flows, the punctuality of services, environmental sustainability, innovation in airport processes and the evolution of the mobility experience. Investing in airport systems therefore means making air transport more efficient, accessible and future-proof.
Among the challenges at the center of the debate will be environmental sustainability, the development of alternative fuels, technological innovation and the new scenarios of advanced air mobility. These are areas that are reshaping the future of the sector, imposing on institutions, airport managers, airlines and industry a shared vision and long-term planning capacity.
The 2026 Fact Book also highlights how investments in airport systems must be financially sustainable and adequately incentivised. The sector, according to the report, is ready to face this new phase, even in a still complex international context. The difficulties related to the crisis in the Middle East confirm how much air transport is exposed to geopolitical balances, but also how essential it remains for the connection between countries, economies and communities.
The conference will be held on June 4 in Rome, at the Multipurpose Hall of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, starting at 09:30. The institutional greetings will be entrusted to Salvatore Deidda, President of the Transport, Post and Telecommunications Commission of the Chamber of Deputies. This will be followed by the presentation reports of the 2026 Fact Book, by Renato Redondi of the ICCSAI-ITSM Center and Costantino Pandolfi, Deputy Central Director of ENAC. The program will continue with a round table with the participation of Stefano Paleari of the ICCSAI-ITSM Center, Alfonso Celotto, President of Aeroporti 2030, Carlo Borgomeo, President of Assaeroporti, Gaetano Intrieri, Chief Executive Officer of Aeroitalia, and Joerg Eberhart, CEO of ITA Airways. The conclusions will be entrusted to Pierluigi Di Palma, President of ENAC, and Edoardo Rixi, Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Transport. The work will be moderated by Flavia Giacobbe, Director of Formiche and Airpress.
The appointment is a moment of reflection on the future of Italian and European air transport: a sector that has recovered pre-pandemic levels, but which now has to face a new season of growth, sustainability, investments and innovation at the service of passengers and territories.
