Aviation and Security Manager Elia Pistola' has been interviewed:

• The new sign system is given the green light
  Terminal A will be renamed Terminal 1.
  Terminal AA will become Terminal 2,
  B and C – together - will become Terminal 3.
  A veritable revolution is about to sweep through Rome Fiumicino airport.
  The Rome airport will have to conform to other important international hubs by adopting the numerical identification system of the Terminals, so as to distinguish them from the boarding areas, identified from letter A to H.
  This revolutionary sign system fulfils a twofold purpose, explains Aviation and Security Manager Elia Pistola: “The renovation project proposes to streamline the current situation and conform the signs identifying the passenger areas, the Terminals and airport interiors, to those of other important international airports, whose traffic volumes are similar to those registered at Rome Fiumicino airport”.

• Why was it necessary to streamline the sign system?
  “Over time, new infrastructures have been gradually added at Rome Fiumicino airport, which are identified through denominations that are both misleading and inconsistent against their actual placing. By way of example, the boarding areas identified by the letter C are located both at the like-named Terminal and at the West Satellite. This happened because, when the Satellite was built, it was deemed necessary to keep numbering the gates consistently with the numeration of the Terminals, characterized by the same letter of the alphabet. The new gates of Terminal C, constructed after the Satellite, maintained the same numbering system, creating a logical ‘leap’ that is difficult for passengers to understand. Likewise, the use of the double A to identify one of the Terminals does not correspond to the denomination of the boarding gates, which are identified through one single A. Only the operators working in the area on a permanent basis know that some of the gates characterized by the letter A are located outside the like-named Pier. This happened because the airport has been enlarged, sometimes irrespective of all plans, through a process that has continued over the years; what’s more, previous infrastructure plans overlooked the need to standardize their sign systems”.

• What are the new features?
  “The new sign system modifies the previous layout: as of next October, Terminals A, AA, B and C will respectively become 1, 2 and 3 (given that B and C will be joined together), in addition to current T5, which will retain its present denomination. This is because the air terminal planned to serve sensitive flights, and currently under construction beyond the current Ceremonial area, will become Terminal 4, as part of a plan that takes into account future infrastructures. The same will apply to the boarding areas, whose identification letter will designate their physical location, and will also consider those included in the 2020 Development Plan. The new denomination complies with a long-term plan and uses techniques that are dictated by international standards, which are consistent with what passengers are used to in other airports worldwide. The operators are most likely to experience the biggest problem in finding their way around, as they will have to give up the logistic references they are used to, and focus, at least initially, on the new nomenclature. I nonetheless believe that the streamlining process implemented and its communication plan will make the learning process easier”.

• Why did you choose the autumn to implement this project?
  “Our timing stems from the need to avoid misreading the new sign system in the peak time of the year, when traffic is nonetheless expected to rise, albeit partially. In the autumn, when fewer passengers go through the airport, the operators will have the opportunity to familiarize with the new denominations and reduce the margin of error”.