A wide-ranging discussion among institutions, operators, and stakeholders in the air transport sector on the issues of competition, regulation, and the strategic role of airport infrastructure for Italy's competitiveness, in memory of Antonio Catricalà, former Deputy Minister, Undersecretary of State, President of the Italian Competition Authority (AGCM), and President of Aeroporti di Roma from 2017 to 2021. With this objective, ENAC and ADR hosted at Terminal 5 of Rome Fiumicino Airport the event ‘Competition and Air Transport in the Strategic Infrastructure System’ in collaboration with the ‘Antonio Catricalà’ Air Transport Observatory, a joint initiative of ENAC and Luiss School of Law, dedicated to the memory of the distinguished jurist to promote aviation culture and dialogue between academia, institutions, and industry.

The initiative featured contributions from Mayor of Fiumicino Mario Baccini, the CEO of Aeroporti di Roma Marco Troncone, the President of ENAC Pierluigi Di Palma, the Chairman of ADR Vincenzo Nunziata, and Luiss School of Law Professor Aristide Police, with closing remarks by Gianni Letta, former Undersecretary to the Prime Minister, and Edoardo Rixi, Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Transport. The event brought together the sector’s leading players to explore the contribution that air transport can make to the country's economic development and sustainable growth, in an increasingly competitive global scenario marked by profound industrial and technological transformations.

‘First and foremost, I would like to remember the distinguished jurist and friend Antonio Catricalà, in whose footsteps we established the Observatory together with the Luiss School of Law: a centre of cultural excellence that is essential for tackling - together with all the sector’s players - the crucial challenges that will shape the future of air transport,’ said ENAC President Pierluigi Di Palma. ‘Over the course of his prestigious career, Catricalà addressed with foresight the issues of competition and liberalisation - an approach that in Italy was launched by ENAC nearly 30 years ago and has become an internationally recognised model. ENAC has been able to play a key bridging role between the public and private spheres, fostering rapid sector growth while ensuring positive economic spillovers for operators working within a regulatory framework defined by the Authority. Liberalisation has generated tangible benefits for both the market and consumers, making air transport services available at affordable prices and strengthening overall supply through robust competition - a process consistently accompanied by the legal protection of passengers at European level. Passengers remain at the heart of the system: our action is guided by the principle that the right to mobility must be guaranteed to everyone, without distinction, ensuring high standards of quality, respect and inclusivity, with no one left behind. Commemorating Antonio Catricalà today at Rome Fiumicino Airport - which he led for many years as President of the operating company and which has been confirmed as the best European hub for the ninth consecutive year - represents the perfect synthesis of an integrated system that brings together institutions, academia, operators and industry towards a shared goal of excellence.’

‘Air transport is a strategic driver of the country’s competitiveness and cohesion. As highlighted by Antonio Catricalà’s experience, the sector’s development must move forward in a way that is consistent with a robust regulatory framework, built on fair competition, the protection of passengers’ rights, and modern, efficient infrastructure. - stated Deputy Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Edoardo Rixi. - At the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, significant measures have been planned to support the airport system, with particular focus on airports of strategic interest. Investment in airports contributes to strengthening intermodality, supporting local development and consolidating Italy’s role in European and international connectivity.’

'Hosting a moment of remembrance for Antonio Catricalà at our airport, alongside a discussion of the sector issues on which he was among the foremost experts in Europe, confirms Rome Fiumicino’s vocation as a place dedicated to sharing perspectives on the strategic themes that shape the future of air transport, recognising in his memory the value of an institutional vision capable of accompanying the sector's development trajectories and fostering open dialogue among the various players,’ remarked Vincenzo Nunziata, Chairman of Aeroporti di Roma. 'The exchange between institutions, academia and operators is in fact essential to support the evolution of infrastructure and consolidating the role of the airport system as a driver of competitiveness and development for the country.’

‘Today we are here to commemorate Antonio Catricalà, on the fifth anniversary of his passing - an individual who served the Republic’s highest institutions with rigor and expertise.’ added Mayor of Fiumicino Mario Baccini. ‘In a historical period marked by profound economic and social change, he consistently placed the public interest, cooperation among institutions and the rule of law at the heart of his work. For a city like Fiumicino, home to a strategic hub for the country as a whole and deeply integrated with the local area, its community and the growth dynamics shaping it, his example remains a valuable point of reference.’

After hosting the airport's 65th anniversary celebrations last 31 October, in the presence of the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella, the renewed Terminal 5 at ‘Leonardo da Vinci’ Airport – confirmed as the best hub in Europe for the ninth consecutive year by ACI World – once again proved to be a space for dialogue and in-depth discussion, fostering the exchange of views and perspectives on the sector’s future. In this context, the exhibition of the artwork ‘Il ramo d'oro’ (The Golden Bough) by Italian artist Giosetta Fioroni was inaugurated – a pioneer of Italian contemporary art and the only female figure of the renowned “Piazza del Popolo School” in Rome, born in 1932 and a recognised emblem of Italian identity and culture – as further evidence of the dialogue between the infrastructural and cultural dimensions that characterises ADR’s artistic enhancement programme. Inspired by the theme of passage and transformation, the painting recalls the theme of the threshold as a gateway to transformation and rebirth, inviting us to experience the journey as a path of change and recognizing the additional dimension of the airport as not merely an infrastructure, but also a modern gateway and symbolic place of human passage. The artwork, on loan from the Fondazione Giosetta Fioroni, will remain at the airport until April 2027.