Editor's note: Subscribe to Unlocking the World, CNN Travel's weekly newsletter. Get the latest news on aviation, food and drink, where to stay and other travel news.
cnn
—
There's a general rule when visiting Italy: the harder a destination is to get to, the more beauty awaits.
That rule is about to get a little looser and faster as the Amalfi Coast gets its “own” airport.
Salerno Costa d'Amalfi Airport will “open” in July, 45 kilometers (28 miles) southeast of the city of Amalfi and 21 kilometers (13 miles) from the city of Salerno, the gateway to the famous coast.
Technically this is a reopening and not a new airport built from scratch. First built in 1926, for the past 98 years, it has been used intermittently as a military airport, flight school, firefighting center and private airport.
In 2007, it was developed to also allow commercial flights. The runway was lengthened and two gates and four check-in counters were built. Airlines that used it included Air Dolomiti and VolaSalerno, a short-lived local startup with a single plane that closed in 2008. The airport then closed completely in 2016.
On July 11, its new life will begin with the arrival of commercial flights from Volotea, a Spanish airline with an important presence in Italy.
Permission to operate commercial flights was granted in January and, for its next opening, the runway was extended to 2,000 meters (6,562 ft). Stalls and aircraft facilities have been added.
Operations are starting slowly as the airport is still under development and is not scheduled to be completed until 2026.
This year, Volotea will operate in four destinations, starting with Nantes in France and Cagliari in Sardinia in July, and Verona and Catania in September. Other “major airlines” are in talks to also serve the airport, according to a spokesperson for GESAC, which manages the airport.
As flights take off, expansion work will continue.
A new passenger terminal is planned to be built between 2026 and 2027. The 16,000 square meter terminal has been designed by the Dutch company Deerns, which won the competition for the expansion project for its plans “based on respect for the environment and the integration of the local territory,” GESAC stated in a statement. .
The company has previously worked on expansions at Abu Dhabi, Amsterdam Schiphol and Kuwait City airports.
The futuristic-looking terminal will be built using natural and sustainable materials, while the roof will house photovoltaic panels to generate power, reducing CO2 emissions.
In that second phase of development the runway will also be extended once again to 2,200 meters (7,218 feet).
Meanwhile, a new general aviation terminal (essentially for private jets) will be built next year. Commercial operators will also use it until their new passenger terminal is completed.
The airport will be under development until 2043, at which time it aims to process six million passengers a year. It will help ease pressure on Naples' Capodichino International Airport, which saw a record 12.4 million passengers in 2023.
Carlos Muñoz, founder and president of Volotea, called the opening of the airport “an important moment for the region” in a statement shared with CNN. And Roberto Barbieri, from GESAC, described the news as “an incredible flywheel for the development of tourism in our region.”
And although the Amalfi Coast has struggled with overtourism and authorities have introduced major restrictions on cars to ease congestion, locals seem happy.
Fausto Salsano, owner of Vietri Centro B&B in Vietri sul Mare, the first town on the famous coast, told CNN: “I am delighted that we have an airport on the Amalfi Coast.
“For those of us in the tourism business, it will be a starting point to further assert ourselves in our work.”
He predicted a “significant growth rate in all sectors.”
