National Airports Plan 2026-2035: Italy redesigns the air transport network
The Italian airport system is entering a new planning phase. The National Airports Plan 2026-2035 was presented to the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, a political and technical guidance document designed to accompany the development of air transport over the next decade, supporting the growth of passenger mobility, tourism, business travel and cargo traffic.
The Plan starts from a significant figure: Italian airports exceeded 229.7 million passengers in 2025, with a growth of 5% compared to 2024, confirming the full recovery of traffic after the pandemic crisis and the strengthening of international demand. The goal set for 2035 is to bring the capacity of the national airport system to around 305 million passengers per year, through a more coordinated, efficient network integrated with other transport systems.
A more integrated airport network
One of the central elements of the new Plan is the overcoming of a vision of airports as isolated airports. In fact, the strategy aims to build integrated airport systems, capable of enhancing the different functions of airports within the territories: large intercontinental hubs, regional airports, tourist airports, cargo hubs and infrastructures serving less connected areas. In this perspective, the Plan looks at airports not only as points of departure and arrival of flights, but as nodes of a broader national network, in which the specialization of airports, the complementarity between neighboring airports and coordination with railways, roads and ports become decisive elements to improve passenger mobility and the competitiveness of territories.
Accessibility and rail connections
The issue of accessibility takes on a strategic role. The MIT refers in particular to the investments intended for rail connections to some airports, including Bergamo, Olbia, Verona and Venice, for about 1.2 billion euros. The goal is to make arrival at the airport easier and more sustainable, reducing dependence on private cars and promoting more integrated mobility between air and rail.
For passengers, this means a possible improvement in the travel experience even before boarding: more predictable access times, more efficient connections with cities and territories, greater integration between flights, regional and high-speed trains. For tourist destinations, on the other hand, airport accessibility becomes an increasingly important competitive factor, especially in territories that aim to intercept international flows throughout the year.
Tourism, business and regional airports
The Plan also recognises the growing role of regional and secondary airports, which in recent years have supported an important part of the development of passenger traffic in Italy. The growth of international tourism, the demand for point-to-point connections and the expansion of low-cost airlines have strengthened the weight of many territorial airports, which are now essential for direct access to cities of art, coastal areas, cultural destinations and territories less served by the large hubs.
In this scenario, airports become tools for tourism and territorial development. Not only transport infrastructures, but gateways to destinations, itineraries and local economic systems. The challenge will be to reconcile traffic growth, quality of services, environmental sustainability and the ability of airports to respond to an increasingly diversified demand.
Cargo and intermodality
Alongside passenger traffic, the Plan also pays attention to the cargo sector, which is increasingly important for the country's competitiveness and for the integration between air transport, logistics, industry and international trade. The enhancement of cargo yards and the connection with rail, port and road networks represent one of the strategic chapters of the new airport structure. The perspective is that of a system in which airports are not only infrastructures for Travellers, but logistics platforms capable of supporting exports, production chains, e-commerce and international connections with high added value.
Towards final approval
As specified by ENAC, the presentation of the Plan represents a step on the path towards final approval, expected in the coming months. The document will therefore have to be transformed into an operational tool capable of guiding investments, infrastructure choices, airport development and planning of the Italian airport system.
A decisive phase is therefore opening up for national air transport. The expected growth until 2035 will require more accessible airports, more coordinated networks, adequate infrastructure and a vision capable of linking mobility, tourism, sustainability and economic development. For passengers, the real measure of the Plan will be its ability to translate into simpler journeys, more efficient connections and airports better integrated with the territories they serve.
