Development Plan FAQ | Rome Fiumicino Airport | ADR
Q&A
The Q&A section brings together the most frequently asked questions about the Airport Development Plan and provides clear, transparent information on the project’s content and objectives.
What is the Airport Development Plan for Rome Fiumicino?
The Airport Development Plan is the long-term strategy that guides the evolution of Rome Fiumicino Airport over the coming decades. The aim is to adapt capacity, services and infrastructure to handle the expected growth in traffic, reaching approximately 100 million passengers per year by 2046. To deliver this, ADR has set out a €9 billion investment programme, without relying on public funding: €4 billion allocated to the maintenance and modernisation of existing infrastructure, and €5 billion for new developments.
What does the Airport Development Plan envisage?
The project envisages a new four-runway layout, the construction of a new terminal, upgrades to aprons and access links for aircraft, as well as operational support infrastructure. It also incorporates measures designed to reduce noise and protect the State Nature Reserve of the Roman Coastline (Riserva Naturale Statale Litorale Romano), generating positive impacts for both the local area and the whole country.
What new infrastructure will benefit the local community?
The project involves the creation of a network of public footpaths, equipped with rest areas, and a new flagship hub along the coastline. Together with the park of archaeological interest and the Macchia Grande Nature Reserve, these developments will create a cohesive route for exploring and collectively enjoying the area’s unique features. A network of biovie (‘greenways’) is also planned to promote sustainable transport for commuting to work and school, as well as to enhance the area’s cultural and tourist heritage through themed routes, modal integration based on a ‘smart living’ approach and environmental protection measures in areas of natural importance. To connect the Litorale Romano State Nature Reserve, the Natura 2000 areas and Coccia di Morto’s Pine Forest, a ‘green corridor’ will be created, featuring cycle and footpaths, rest areas and observation points, whilst the agricultural plain north of the airport area will be enhanced ecologically by improving the landscape. Finally, the project includes measures to enhance the wetlands, aimed at restoring the reed beds, improving ecological functionality and providing natural support for water purification processes.
What does environmental compensation include under the Airport Development Plan?
Environmental protection is a central element of the Airport Development Plan. The project envisages concrete measures to reduce CO2 emissions and noise; make more efficient use of runways and airport space; implement compensation initiatives aimed at restoring and enhancing areas that are currently underused or unusable, through the creation of cycle paths, green corridors and new ecological connections. The main project is an archaeological park covering approximately 85 hectares, which will be created by shortening Runway 1 – adjacent to the town of Fiumicino – by over 900 metres. The park is designed as a natural and cultural space open to the public, connected to the historical sites of the Roman port system and integrated into the State Nature Reserve of the Roman Littoral, thus combining environmental protection with the enhancement of historical heritage.
Will the expansion of the airport reduce the total area of the State Nature Reserve of the Roman Littoral?
No, the project will affect about 150 hectares of the Reserve (i.e., less than 1% of the total 16,000 hectares), based on the principle of 'net zero': the area used for new infrastructures will be offset by the simultaneous restoration and inclusion in the Reserve of areas that are currently outside of it, which will be redeveloped by Aeroporti di Roma. This way, the development of the airport goes hand in hand with an overall improvement of the Reserve’s ecological and landscape quality and public usability – making it more connected, more accessible and better valued from a naturalistic and cultural perspective.
What economic benefits does the Airport Development Plan bring?
The development of Fiumicino airport directly supports the economic growth of the local area and the whole country. According to a study by Luiss Guido Carli University, the Development Plan could generate up to €70 billion in added value and about 300,000 new jobs across Italy – including over 67,000 in Lazio and more than 13,000 in the municipality of Fiumicino. A more efficient and better-connected airport does not solely strengthen the role of Leonardo da Vinci Airport as a major international gateway, in line with other major European hubs, but it also makes Rome, Lazio and Italy more attractive to tourists, businesses and investors.
How important is airport development for a country's competitiveness?
Airports are strategic infrastructures for a country's competitiveness.For this reason, major hubs in the Euro-Mediterranean area, such as Dubai and Istanbul, are investing heavily to reach 100 million passengers annually - while other expansion projects and the construction of new airports (such as Riyadh, Addis Ababa and Abu Dhabi) are underway. . At the same time, in Europe, airports such as London Heathrow and Frankfurt have already submitted plans to build new runways. Fiumicino is among the top 20 airports in the world for international traffic, ahead of other major hubs such as Munich or New York JFK, and in recent years it has grown to exceed 51 million passengers in 2025, for the first time. To remain competitive and attract strategic airlines and routes, Fiumicino must also increase its operational capacity: new runways and infrastructure suited to the projected growth are essential to ensure continuity of services, manage peak traffic, make the system more resilient and support the development of long haul.
What distinguishes Rome Fiumicino Airport from other Italian airports?
In Italy, the current version of the National Airport Plan identifies only three airports as strategically important for long-haul connections: Rome Fiumicino, Milan Malpensa and Venice. Of these, Rome Fiumicino is the only true intercontinental hub: it concentrates the largest number of domestic, European and intercontinental connecting flights, allowing passengers to travel from many Italian and European cities, and continue to destinations worldwide. This role makes it the country's main international gateway and a key reference point for airlines that choose Italy as a base to connect Europe with the Americas, Africa and Asia.
Is it true that growth will only be low-cost and short-/medium-haul, with no benefits for the local area?
No. The Rome Fiumicino Airport Development Plan aims at supporting an increase in long-haul flights, which bring tangible benefits to the local area and the entire country: more economic value, skilled employment and greater international attractiveness. Currently, the most demanded time slots for intercontinental flights are already fully booked and off-peak slots do not meet the real needs of airlines and passengers. For this reason, expansion is essential to grow connections with the Americas and Asia – and, with them, the positive economic and social impacts for Fiumicino and the whole country.
What would happen if the airport were not developed?
Without development, congestion will become severe in the coming years, especially during peak hours. This would result in more delays, fewer opportunities to open new routes and a gradual decline in service quality for both passengers and airlines. In the long term, reduced competitiveness could negatively impact tourism, investments and employment, affecting both the local area and the national economy.
Following the approval of the resolution on the redefinition of the Litorale Romano Nature Reserve, what are the next steps for the administrative process to implement the Airport Development Plan?
Following the resolution approval by the Municipality of Fiumicino on 13 January 2026, the following step is the ongoing submission by the Municipality of the request for redefinition of the boundaries of the State Nature Reserve of the Roman Coastline to the Ministry for the Environment and Energy Security (MASE). The Ministry will review the documentation, acquire the necessary technical opinions in addition to securing the required agreement with the Lazio Region. If the boundaries redefinition procedure will be successful, the following step will be to complete the administrative process required for the approval of the Airport Development Plan.
Will the development change anything for passengers?
No. For passengers, nothing will change in terms of airport use. The plan will allow them to use a less congested, more accessible airport, with innovative and timely services, maintaining the high standards of quality that have characterized the airport so far – despite the expected growth in air traffic over the coming decades. The expansion of the terminal system and the new operational set-up will better manage peak traffic, reduce waiting times and provide a more comfortable travel experience, in line with the standards of major international hubs with which Rome Fiumicino competes. The construction of new piers and the reorganization of the runways will not affect daily operations, just as previous infrastructure upgrades in recent years have gone unnoticed by passengers, enabling the airport to achieve Skytrax 5-star rating and recognition as a Best Airport, ranking in the global Top Ten for service quality.
How will take-off trajectories change?
New take-off trajectories will be designed to be as far as possible from residential areas and at higher altitudes than today. 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.
Will the new four-runway layout increase noise for residents?
No. The new runway configuration is specifically designed to reduce traffic on Runway 1, with noise reductions of up to 80% for nearby residential areas. This runway will be shortened and will no longer be used for take-offs. Compared with the current three-runway layout, the number of residents exposed to significant noise levels will decrease substantially and many benefits will be noticeable from the first day of operation of the new runway, without waiting for the entire plan to be completed.
What will change for nearby residential areas in terms of noise?
With the four-runway configuration, there will be significant improvements in the noise perceived by residents. For example, the Isola Sacra district will benefit greatly, as there will be no more take-offs from Runway 1, while landings will generally be on Runway 3. Take-offs from the new runway will follow a different trajectory – farther from homes – at the southern end of Isola Sacra and directed toward the Tiber estuary, at an average altitude about 400 meters higher, resulting in an estimated noise reduction of around 65% per aircraft compared with today. The area of Fregene will also benefit from the new layout: overflights, mainly from northern landings, will decrease by about 50% upon opening of the new runway and about 20% in the long term, even with increased traffic. Finally, in Maccarese Stazione and Torrimpietra, noise levels will remain substantially unchanged, with no significant new acoustic impacts for residents.
When will the noise reduction benefits be felt?
Noise benefits will begin from the first day of operation of the new runway layout, thanks to the redistribution of flights and the elimination of take-offs over certain residential areas, such as Isola Sacra. A significant immediate reduction in the number of people exposed to high noise levels is expected, which will consolidate over time as the new infrastructure becomes fully operational and more advanced aircraft are increasingly used.
How were the Municipality of Fiumicino and local residents involved in the redefinition of the “Litorale Romano” State Nature Reserve?
Between September and October 2025, the Municipality of Fiumicino organised a series of informative hearings on the redefinition proposal presented by ENAC, attended by members of the Urban Planning and Land Strategy Commission. Citizen committees and associations, both supporting and opposing the plan, were heard – alongside Aeroporti di Roma, ENAC and trade associations – in a public consultation aimed at presenting the project and collecting feedback from the local area.
What are airport charges and how are they determined?
‘Airport charges' are the fees airlines pay for using an airport’s infrastructure and services. Across the EU, airport charges are calculated per airport and reflect two general principles: (i) cost-related principle – for each service/infrastructure, the charge equals to the unit cost of that service/infrastructure and (ii) user pays principle – not all airlines use the same airport services at all times (e.g., boarding bridges). In Italy, charges are subject to ex-ante and ex-post control by the Transport Regulation Authority (ART), which sets general rules for determining ‘allowable costs’ for calculating charges and subsequently verifies their application, ensuring strict transparency.
What about passenger ticket fees? Is it true that they already fund the fourth runway and future airport investments at Rome Fiumicino?
Airport charges applied by Aeroporti di Roma are calculated in accordance with ART rules. These rules specify which costs are ‘allowable’ in the calculation of charges and which are not. Costs related to investments not yet realized, such as the fourth runway, are not included. Thus, the airport charges applied by Aeroporti di Roma – as with all airports in Italy – are calculated only on capital already invested, ensuring passengers never pay in advance for future works, but only for existing services and infrastructure.
What will be the direct economic benefits for the Municipality of Fiumicino?
Discussions with authorities aim at ensuring airport growth translates into concrete benefits for the Municipality of Fiumicino, including an annual contribution equal to 0.5% of Aeroporti di Roma’s profits for 10 years, providing the local authority with a stable revenue stream linked to airport development. Additionally, compensatory and infrastructure works worth approximately €300 million are planned for the area, supporting mobility, public spaces and services. These are resources that the municipality could not obtain without the plan and will allow long-term projects to be planned for the benefit of residents.
Will epidemiological studies be carried out? If so, by whom?
Yes, an epidemiological study will be carried out. Resolution No. 1, approved on 13 January 2026 regarding the redefinition of the boundaries of the Roman Coast State Natural Reserve, includes the request for an epidemiological study. In addition to the monitoring of the main atmospheric pollutants already carried out in the airport area, the Municipal Authority of Fiumicino will commission ASL Roma 3 to conduct a specific epidemiological study to assess the impact of airport activities on the local area and on the health of the local population. The studies will use updated data and recognised methodologies, with the aim of ensuring maximum protection of public health and providing transparent, verifiable information to the population.