Infrastructure Works

Rome Fiumicino ‘Leonardo da Vinci’ Airport is set to undergo a profound transformation that will reshape its role within the global air transport system over the coming years.

The airport's Sustainable Development Plan outlines a future in which growth, innovation and sustainability go hand in hand, creating an even more efficient and modern airport that respects the local area and its community: it will include a significant reduction in noise pollution affecting residential areas; returning green spaces to the local community; and the construction of a new terminal and a new runway. This will make the travel experience even more comfortable, improve the operational efficiency of the entire airport and bring numerous benefits to residents and the airport community’s employees.

The new runway 

Located parallel to and west of Runway 3, a new 3,400-metre runway will accommodate the operations currently carried out on Runway 1, enabling a different configuration of flight infrastructure.

In addition to ensuring adequate capacity expansion, consistent with the strategic role of Rome Fiumicino Airport, the runway will reduce by up to 80% the noise impact on residential areas adjacent to the airport. This configuration will also allow Runway 1 to be used only for a limited number of landings and no longer (as is currently the case) for take-offs.

Shifting core operations eastwards and dedicating Runway 1 exclusively to landing operations will allow to shorten the runway and relocate the landing threshold of Runway 1 by approximately 900 meters compared to its current position: this will increase the altitude at which aircraft fly over the residential areas of Isola Sacra and Cancelli Rossi, leading to a significant reduction in noise impact on these areas.

The approximately 900 meters removed from Runway 1 operations will be returned to the community through the creation of a park of archaeological interest – the maintenance of which will be handled by Aeroporti di Roma – open to the public.

The construction of the new flight infrastructure will be accompanied by the upgrading of taxiways, aprons and connecting roads to support the capacity of the runways and, more generally, of the entire airport system.

The new East Terminal

At the heart of Rome Fiumicino Airport Development Plan, this new terminal will feature iconic architecture, the highest standards of sustainability and an exhibition space dedicated to local culture. The new boarding areas K and L, directly connected to the other terminals, will increase the airport’s capacity and the quality of its services to accommodate up to 100 million passengers per year by 2046.

Designed with the aim of achieving LEED Platinum certification (the highest international recognition for building sustainability, obtained through innovative technologies for energy, water and environmental comfort), the building will feature undulating roofs, large glass surfaces and an architectural style that combines visual lightness with functionality. It will not be merely a terminal, but a space that reflects the local area and guides travellers through art, history and cultural identity, with a total gross floor area of approximately 350,000 sqm spread across multiple levels, featuring two new boarding areas with 76 gates, thereby adding over 35 million passengers per year to the airport’s overall capacity.

Access to the airport

The increase in passengers and operations will require improved access to the airport: a new system of access roads on the eastern side will link up with the existing internal road network, the motorway network and a new internal rail link that will connect the current terminals, the airport railway station and the technical area – providing passengers and airport operators with alternative transport options.

In order to encourage greater use of rail transport by airport operators and passengers travelling to and from Rome, RFI - Italian Railway Network plans to upgrade the airport railway station, increasing the number of tracks from the current three to five.

A new railway station serving the new terminal is also currently under evaluation.

With completion scheduled for March 2027, works are under way to complete the existing at-grade motorway interchange on the Rome–Fiumicino highway, in the direction of Cargo City. The project includes the construction of two connecting ramps between the eastbound carriageway of the A91 (towards Rome) and the Cargo City area: the first ramp will allow vehicles coming from Fiumicino to reach it, while the second will enable vehicles leaving Cargo City and the long-stay car park to head towards Rome. This will make heavy vehicle traffic to and from the airport’s Cargo area fully independent from internal circulation within the technical airport zone, ensuring a clear separation of traffic flows.

The airport’s accessibility system will also be integrated with local infrastructure, in the context of the growth of the so-called ‘wider area’.

Parking

The parking system will be reorganised to serve the new terminal, benefitting passengers and airport staff. It will offer over 5,000 parking spaces, including spaces for electric vehicles equipped with charging points, car sharing and new forms of sustainable transport, partly thanks to the creation of cycle and pedestrian paths that will complete the internal network, linking up with the existing ‘Pedalaria’ cycle path which will be extended first towards the airport’s technical area and subsequently towards the East Terminal, delivering benefits for both the airport community and local residents who prefer cycling as their mode of transport.

Complementary services

The new terminal will feature a system of hospitality and administrative services, including offices, retail spaces, green areas and public spaces, designed to be enjoyed and not merely passed through. 

The airport embraces a new concept of centrality, where travel is integrated with the quality of urban spaces and the needs of those who work or live nearby.