Benefits for the Local Community

Reduction in noise pollution for nearby residential areas

The new runways’ configuration is designed to reduce traffic on Runway 1, with noise reductions of up to 80% for nearby residential areas. This runway will no longer be used for take-offs, but only for a limited number of landings. Compared with the current layout, the planned four-runway configuration will reduce substantially the number of residents exposed to significant noise levels; many benefits will be noticeable from the first day of operation of the new runway, without waiting for the entire plan to be completed.

New take-off trajectories will be designed to be as far as possible from residential areas and, compared to now, at higher altitudes. In particular, departures from the new runway will be oriented towards the Tiber estuary and the sea, reducing direct overflight of houses. This, combined with the increasing use of next-generation aircraft, will significantly reduce the noise perceived by residents.

Creation of a public archaeological park

Thanks to the relocation of the Runway 1 threshold by approximately 900 metres, an area of around 85 hectares, as large as Villa Borghese in Rome, will be returned to the community and made accessible to everyone. A new public park will be created there, featuring the enhancement of the archaeological areas of the Imperial Harbours of Claudius and Trajan and the Monte Giulio area through pedestrian and cycle paths designed to allow visitors to enjoy the landscape and the archaeological setting; rest areas with street furniture; dedicated planting schemes aimed at enhancing the natural value of the area. An opportunity to rediscover a unique heritage, benefiting the airport community, local residents and tourists.

Environmental and landscape enhancement projects

The infrastructure layout envisaged in the Sustainable Development Plan for Rome Fiumicino Airport involves an expansion of the airport site to areas outside the current boundaries covering approximately 267 hectares, 150 of which falling within the Litorale Romano State Nature Reserve (i.e., less than 1% of the reserve’s total area of approximately 16,000 hectares).

The Plan includes a series of proposals aimed at harmonising airport development and enhancing the local area through measures and initiatives that benefit the local communities and the numerous airport operators who work at Rome Fiumicino Airport every day.

With the airport’s expansion, certain areas with a potential ecological value, both within and outside the current perimeter of the airport, will be incorporated into the Litorale Romano State Nature Reserve. This will compensate for the land affected by the construction of the new flight infrastructure system, while helping to strengthen the area’s ecological connectivity.

A network of public footpaths with rest areas will be created, alongside a further hub of excellence along the coastline which, together with the archaeological park and the existing Oasi of Macchia Grande, will form a route centred on the unique features of the area and designed for public enjoyment. 

A network of sustainable cycle and foot paths will also be developed, designed to promote a model of slow mobility that meets everyday home–work–school travel needs while also encouraging tourism and cultural enjoyment of the area’s rich territorial and heritage resources: themed routes that connect nature, history and landscape, integrated with smart and intermodal mobility solutions within a smart living approach. In particular, the project provides routes dedicated to exploring the territory, solutions to integrate different modes of transport, actions to protect and enhance the environment in areas of high natural value, as well as rest areas along the routes, designed for relaxation and landscape observation.

A ‘green corridor’ will be created to connect the Litorale Romano State Nature Reserve and the areas of natural value belonging to Natura 2000’s network with Coccia di Morto’s Pine Forest, serving both an ecological function and supporting human activities.

Cycle paths and footpaths are also planned, including rest areas and observation points, with the following objectives:
• to connect the protected areas of the State Nature Reserve of the Roman Coast, the Coccia di Morto Pinewood and the Natura 2000 sites, which are currently fragmented and not interconnected;
• to create a buffer zone between the airport and surrounding natural areas;
• to strengthen habitats through the planting of native species.

To enhance the ecological value of the agricultural area to the north of the airport, the project includes measures to improve the landscape. These will include the creation and reinforcement of linear elements within the agricultural landscape, planting shrubs along the banks of the drainage channels of the Maccarese plain and a butterfly garden for educational, recreational and conservation purposes.

Further measures are also planned to enhance the ecological functionality of wetlands in the areas surrounding the airport and to restore the riparian buffer zone associated with reed bed habitats. The planned works will also help support water purification, through the vegetation itself.

Through a Memorandum of Understanding between ENAC, ADR and the Municipal Authority of Fiumicino, together with the involvement of local stakeholders, an integrated project will take shape to raise awareness among the local community and visitors, strengthening the bond with the local area. It will involve concrete actions supported by multilingual content, events and experiences, digital activities and media partnerships, alongside educational initiatives and opportunities for community participation. Thanks to the synergistic contribution of institutions, tourism operators, bodies and associations active in the field of environmental sustainability, the Reserve will enhance its appeal, promote responsible tourism and generate lasting value for the local area.