Leonardo da Vinci International Airport
Encyclopedia
Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport , also commonly known as Fiumicino Airport, is Italy
's largest airport
with 36.3 million passengers served in 2010, located in Fiumicino
, 35 km from Rome
's historic city centre.
The airport serves as a hub
for Alitalia
and based on total passenger numbers it was the sixth busiest airport in Europe, and the world's 29th busiest airport
in 2011.
The airport is named after Italian polymath
Leonardo da Vinci
, who first designed a proto helicopter
and a flying machine with wings.
s, replacing the small Rome Ciampino Airport which remains in service for domestic and charter operations. During the decade Alitalia invested heavily in the new airport, building hangars and maintenance centers; in the same period a third runway was added (16L/34R).
Four runways presently operate at Leonardo da Vinci airport: 16L/34R and 16R/34L (separated by a distance of 4,000 metres), 16C/34C (close to 16L/34R), mostly used as a taxiway or as a backup of 16L/34R, and 07/25, used only westwards for takeoffs due to dominant winds.
Since 2005 the airport operates a category III B instrument landing system
(ILS). Further improvement work was implemented in 2007 to enable the airport to handle 30 takeoff
s/landing
s per hour, up from 10, in the event of thick fog
.
The terminal
areas were upgraded during the 1990s :
The next commitments will be the following:
has its Rome Sales Office in the Room 447 in the Office Tower (Torre Uffici), on the airport property. Cathay Pacific
has its Rome Office in Torre Uffici 2.
created EAS and started providing third-party services too. Aeroporti di Roma Handling remains the biggest handler in terms of airlines handled but Alitalia Airport is the biggest handler in terms of airplanes handled as Alitalia aircraft account for 50% of the ones in Fiumicino. There are some private handlers that provide passenger assistance alone: ARE Group, Globeground Italia and ICTS Italia.
On 2 May 2006 Meridiana's passenger handling staff transferred to Alitalia Airport and the ramp transferred to Alitalia Airport in February 2007 (from Aeroporti di Roma Handling).
The ground handling deregulation has brought confusion on who does what and has decreased service levels especially on transferring baggage.
In May 2006 Italy's Civil Aviation Authority announced that it took off the limitation of 3 ramp handlers in Rome Leonardo da Vinci airport. ARE Group and Aviapartner
announced that they would create a company called Aviapartner (51% Aviapartner; 49% ARE Group) to serve Milan Malpensa and Rome Leonardo da Vinci. There are fears that luggage mishandling will go up.
In November 2006 Aeroporti di Roma Handling was sold to Flightcare (itself owned by Spanish company FCC), an Aviance member.
to Aeroporti di Roma in 2000. Aeroporti di Roma created Airport Security (100%-owned) to provide these services as well as security services to airlines (in competition with other security companies such as IVRI). Airport Security is supervised by Polizia di Stato (Italian State Police), Guardia di Finanza
(Italian Customs Police), Ente Nazionale Aviazione Civile (Italy's Civil Aviation Authority) and Aeroporti di Roma.
Fiumicino Aeroporto railway station
is served by the Leonardo Express
train operated by Trenitalia
, available at the airport terminal. It takes 30 minutes to get to Termini Station in a non-stop trip that is provided twice an hour. Alternatively, local trains leave once every 15 minutes, stopping at all stations. Passengers may have to change at Trastevere
, Ostiense
(Metro Piramide
) or Tuscolana. The railway was scheduled to open in December 1989, with nonstop and several stop services available.
s as well as being the scene of two major terrorist attacks and the port of origin for an aircraft bombing in flight—some engendered by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
's largest airport
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
with 36.3 million passengers served in 2010, located in Fiumicino
Fiumicino, Italy
Fiumicino is a town and comune in the province of Rome, Lazio, central Italy. It is famous for the presence of the Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport, the busiest airport in Italy and the fifth busiest in Europe.-History:...
, 35 km from Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
's historic city centre.
The airport serves as a hub
Airline hub
An airline hub is an airport that an airline uses as a transfer point to get passengers to their intended destination. It is part of a hub and spoke model, where travelers moving between airports not served by direct flights change planes en route to their destinations...
for Alitalia
Alitalia
Alitalia - Linee Aeree Italiane S.p.A. , in its later stages known as Alitalia - Linee Aeree Italiane S.p.A. in Extraordinary Administration, was the former Italian flag carrier...
and based on total passenger numbers it was the sixth busiest airport in Europe, and the world's 29th busiest airport
World's busiest airports by passenger traffic
The world's busiest airports by passenger traffic are measured by number of total passengers . One passenger is described as someone who arrives in, departs from, or transfers through the airport on a given day...
in 2011.
The airport is named after Italian polymath
Polymath
A polymath is a person whose expertise spans a significant number of different subject areas. In less formal terms, a polymath may simply be someone who is very knowledgeable...
Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci was an Italian Renaissance polymath: painter, sculptor, architect, musician, scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer, botanist and writer whose genius, perhaps more than that of any other figure, epitomized the Renaissance...
, who first designed a proto helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
and a flying machine with wings.
History
The airport was officially opened on January 15, 1961, with two runwayRunway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...
s, replacing the small Rome Ciampino Airport which remains in service for domestic and charter operations. During the decade Alitalia invested heavily in the new airport, building hangars and maintenance centers; in the same period a third runway was added (16L/34R).
Four runways presently operate at Leonardo da Vinci airport: 16L/34R and 16R/34L (separated by a distance of 4,000 metres), 16C/34C (close to 16L/34R), mostly used as a taxiway or as a backup of 16L/34R, and 07/25, used only westwards for takeoffs due to dominant winds.
Since 2005 the airport operates a category III B instrument landing system
Instrument Landing System
An instrument landing system is a ground-based instrument approach system that provides precision guidance to an aircraft approaching and landing on a runway, using a combination of radio signals and, in many cases, high-intensity lighting arrays to enable a safe landing during instrument...
(ILS). Further improvement work was implemented in 2007 to enable the airport to handle 30 takeoff
Takeoff
Takeoff is the phase of flight in which an aerospace vehicle goes from the ground to flying in the air.For horizontal takeoff aircraft this usually involves starting with a transition from moving along the ground on a runway. For balloons, helicopters and some specialized fixed-wing aircraft , no...
s/landing
Landing
thumb|A [[Mute Swan]] alighting. Note the ruffled feathers on top of the wings indicate that the swan is flying at the [[Stall |stall]]ing speed...
s per hour, up from 10, in the event of thick fog
Fog
Fog is a collection of water droplets or ice crystals suspended in the air at or near the Earth's surface. While fog is a type of stratus cloud, the term "fog" is typically distinguished from the more generic term "cloud" in that fog is low-lying, and the moisture in the fog is often generated...
.
The terminal
Airport terminal
An airport terminal is a building at an airport where passengers transfer between ground transportation and the facilities that allow them to board and disembark from aircraft....
areas were upgraded during the 1990s :
- 1991: Opening of the domestic pier with 12 loading bridges (Pier A);
- 1995: Opening of the international pier with 10 loading bridges (Pier B);
- 1999: Opening of the west satellite with 11 loading bridges (satellite C) and sky-bridge train connecting it with the main terminal;
- 2000: Opening of the new domestic terminal (terminal A). Reorganization of terminal buildings, then consisting of: terminal A (and pier A), terminal AA, terminal B (and pier B), terminal C (and west satellite);
- 2004: Opening of new cargo terminal called Cargo City;
- 2008: Opening of terminal 5 for check-in of American carrier flights and El-Al (passengers are then bussed to the Main terminal building); serves 950,000 passengers per year. Extended work to build new pier C.
- 2009: Renaming of terminals - A has been renamed T1, AA has become T2, B and C became T3 and T5 has remained as T5.
- 2010: Launch of the new single Baggage Handling SystemBaggage Handling SystemA baggage handling system is a type of conveyor system installed in airports that transports checked luggage from ticket counters to areas where the bags can be loaded onto airplanes...
(BHS) for more efficient luggage delivery.
The next commitments will be the following:
- completion of environment-friendly cogeneration system allowing the airport to self-produce energy;
- the new pier C (dedicated to international flights) with 16 additional loading bridges, to be completed by 2011-2012 to enable handling the expected growth from present-day 38 million passengers per year to 55 million by 2018.
- Masterplan Fiumicino Nord: to 2044, AdR, will build four new terminals and two new runways. In 2044 Fiumicino's passengers will be 100 million/year.
Terminals, airlines and destinations
- All international (non-Schengen) flights arrive at Terminal 3, through gates G and H. Terminal 5 is an isolated, departure-only facility for all US-flagged carriers and a few others.
Traffic and statistics
EWLINE
|
EWLINE
|
Other facilities
All Nippon AirwaysAll Nippon Airways
, also known as or ANA, is one of the largest airlines in Japan. It is headquartered at the Shiodome City Center in the Shiodome area in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. It operates services to 49 destinations in Japan and 35 international routes and employed over 14,000 employees as of May 2009...
has its Rome Sales Office in the Room 447 in the Office Tower (Torre Uffici), on the airport property. Cathay Pacific
Cathay Pacific
Cathay Pacific is the flag carrier of Hong Kong, with its head office and main hub located at Hong Kong International Airport, although the airline's registered office is on the 33rd floor of One Pacific Place...
has its Rome Office in Torre Uffici 2.
Ground handling
Ground handling services have been provided by Aeroporti di Roma up to 1999 when it created Aeroporti di Roma Handling (to serve all airlines apart from Alitalia, which continued being handled by Aeroporti di Roma itself). Alitalia provided passenger assistance even before 1999. In 2001 Alitalia created Alitalia Airport and started providing self-handling and third party handling. Air OneAir One
Air One "Smart Carrier" is Alitalia's LCC subsidiary based in Milan Malpensa Airport and headquartered in Fiumicino, Italy. Before the merger with Alitalia, Air One was a competitor, the second largest airline in Italy, with a high-frequency scheduled network to 36 destinations in Italy, Europe and...
created EAS and started providing third-party services too. Aeroporti di Roma Handling remains the biggest handler in terms of airlines handled but Alitalia Airport is the biggest handler in terms of airplanes handled as Alitalia aircraft account for 50% of the ones in Fiumicino. There are some private handlers that provide passenger assistance alone: ARE Group, Globeground Italia and ICTS Italia.
On 2 May 2006 Meridiana's passenger handling staff transferred to Alitalia Airport and the ramp transferred to Alitalia Airport in February 2007 (from Aeroporti di Roma Handling).
The ground handling deregulation has brought confusion on who does what and has decreased service levels especially on transferring baggage.
In May 2006 Italy's Civil Aviation Authority announced that it took off the limitation of 3 ramp handlers in Rome Leonardo da Vinci airport. ARE Group and Aviapartner
Aviapartner
Aviapartner, whose origins date back to 1949 under the name 'Belgavia', is a Belgian company which provides aircraft ground handling services at 32 airports in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy and The Netherlands. Among the airports served are Amsterdam, Brussels, Berlin-Tegel, Frankfurt A.M.,...
announced that they would create a company called Aviapartner (51% Aviapartner; 49% ARE Group) to serve Milan Malpensa and Rome Leonardo da Vinci. There are fears that luggage mishandling will go up.
In November 2006 Aeroporti di Roma Handling was sold to Flightcare (itself owned by Spanish company FCC), an Aviance member.
Security services
Security Services transferred from the Polizia di StatoPolizia di Stato
The Polizia di Stato is one of the national police forces of Italy.It is the main police force for providing police duties and it is also responsible for patrolling motorways , railways , airports , customs as well as certain waterways, and assisting the local police...
to Aeroporti di Roma in 2000. Aeroporti di Roma created Airport Security (100%-owned) to provide these services as well as security services to airlines (in competition with other security companies such as IVRI). Airport Security is supervised by Polizia di Stato (Italian State Police), Guardia di Finanza
Guardia di Finanza
The Guardia di Finanza is a Italian law enforcement agency under the authority of the Minister of Economy and Finance. Like the Carabinieri, it is part of the Italian Armed Forces. The Guard is essentially responsible for dealing with financial crime and smuggling; it has also evolved into Italy's...
(Italian Customs Police), Ente Nazionale Aviazione Civile (Italy's Civil Aviation Authority) and Aeroporti di Roma.
Ground transportation
Leonardo da Vinci is about 35 kilometres (21.7 mi) by car from Rome's historic city centre. The airport is served by the six-lane motorway A91 Roma-Fiumicino and numerous buses and taxis.Fiumicino Aeroporto railway station
Fiumicino Aeroporto railway station
Fiumicino Aeroporto railway station, or Fiumicino Airport railway station , is sited within the Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport in Fiumicino, Lazio, central Italy...
is served by the Leonardo Express
Leonardo Express
The Leonardo Express is an airport rail service linking the city of Rome with its largest airport, Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport, in the region of Lazio, central Italy....
train operated by Trenitalia
Trenitalia
Trenitalia is the primary train operator in Italy. Trenitalia is owned by Ferrovie dello Stato, itself owned by the Italian Government. It was created in 2000 following the EU directive on the deregulation of rail transport.-Passenger transport:...
, available at the airport terminal. It takes 30 minutes to get to Termini Station in a non-stop trip that is provided twice an hour. Alternatively, local trains leave once every 15 minutes, stopping at all stations. Passengers may have to change at Trastevere
Trastevere
Trastevere is rione XIII of Rome, on the west bank of the Tiber, south of Vatican City. Its name comes from the Latin trans Tiberim, meaning literally "beyond the Tiber". The correct pronunciation is "tras-TEH-ve-ray", with the accent on the second syllable. Its logo is a golden head of a lion on a...
, Ostiense
Roma Ostiense railway station
Roma Ostiense is a train station in Piazza dei Partigiani serving the Ostiense district of Rome, Italy, a short distance from the Porta San Paolo. It is run by the Centostazioni arm of the Ferrovie dello Stato group and the urban rail lines FR1, FR3, and FR5 run through the station...
(Metro Piramide
Rome Metro
The Rome Metro is an underground public transportation system that operates in Rome, Italy and opened in 1955. There are currently two metro lines, the A line and the B line . A third line, the green C line, and a new branch of the B line, are currently under construction. Plans have also been...
) or Tuscolana. The railway was scheduled to open in December 1989, with nonstop and several stop services available.
Accidents and incidents
From the 1960s until the 1980s, the airport experienced significant aircraft hijackingAircraft hijacking
Aircraft hijacking is the unlawful seizure of an aircraft by an individual or a group. In most cases, the pilot is forced to fly according to the orders of the hijackers. Occasionally, however, the hijackers have flown the aircraft themselves, such as the September 11 attacks of 2001...
s as well as being the scene of two major terrorist attacks and the port of origin for an aircraft bombing in flight—some engendered by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
Israeli-Palestinian conflict
The Israeli–Palestinian conflict is the ongoing conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. The conflict is wide-ranging, and the term is also used in reference to the earlier phases of the same conflict, between Jewish and Zionist yishuv and the Arab population living in Palestine under Ottoman or...
.
- On 23 November 1964, TWA Flight 800 (1964)TWA Flight 800 (1964)TWA Flight 800 was a Boeing 707 that crashed during take off on runway 25 at Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport, Rome at 13:05 GMT on a flight to Athens International Airport, Greece on 23 November 1964. As the Boeing 707 was at 80 knots, the instruments for No. 4 engine indicated zero thrust and...
an engine caught fire on the Boeing 707Boeing 707The Boeing 707 is a four-engine narrow-body commercial passenger jet airliner developed by Boeing in the early 1950s. Its name is most commonly pronounced as "Seven Oh Seven". The first airline to operate the 707 was Pan American World Airways, inaugurating the type's first commercial flight on...
during take off. 50 out of the 73 passengers and crew on board were killed.
- On 5 March 1967, VarigVarigVARIG was the first airline founded in Brazil, in 1927. From 1965 until 1990 it was Brazil's leading and almost only international airline...
flight 837Varig Airlines Flight 837Varig Airlines Flight 837 was a flight from Fiumicino Airport, Rome, Italy to Roberts International Airport, Monrovia, Liberia. On March 05, 1967, due to pilot error, the flight crashed during approach to Runway 04 of Roberts International Airport. Of the 71 passengers and 19 crew on board, 50...
, a Douglas DC-8-33Douglas DC-8The Douglas DC-8 is a four-engined narrow-body passenger commercial jet airliner, manufactured from 1958 to 1972 by the Douglas Aircraft Company...
registration PP-PEA flying from Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport to Rio de Janeiro-Galeão via MonroviaRoberts International Airport-Accidents and incidents:*On 5 March 1967: Varig flight 837, a Douglas DC-8-33 registration PP-PEA flying from Rome-Fiumicino to Rio de Janeiro-Galeão via Roberts International Airport, caught fire after a mistaken approach to Monrovia, missing the threshold of the runway by 6,023 ft...
, caught fire after a mistaken approach to Monrovia, missing the threshold of the runway by 6,023 ft. Of the 90 passengers and crew aboard, 51 died.
- On 17 December 1973, Pan American World AirwaysPan American World AirwaysPan American World Airways, commonly known as Pan Am, was the principal and largest international air carrier in the United States from 1927 until its collapse on December 4, 1991...
(Pan Am) Flight 110Pan Am Flight 110On December 17, 1973, Pan Am Flight 110 was scheduled to fly from Leonardo Da Vinci International Airport in Rome to Beirut International Airport in Lebanon and then on to Tehran, Iran...
was attacked by Palestinian terroristsPalestinian political violencePalestinian political violence refers to acts of violence undertaken to further the Palestinian cause. These political objectives include self-determination in and sovereignty over Palestine, the liberation of Palestine and establishment of a Palestinian state, either in place of both Israel and...
. 30 passengers were killed when phosphorus bombsWhite phosphorus (weapon)White phosphorus is a material made from a common allotrope of the chemical element phosphorus that is used in smoke, tracer, illumination and incendiary munitions. Other common names include WP, and the slang term "Willie Pete," which is dated from its use in Vietnam, and is still sometimes used...
were thrown aboard the aircraft as it was preparing for departure.
- On 27 December 1985, during the Rome and Vienna airport attacksRome and Vienna airport attacksThe Rome and Vienna airport attacks were two major terrorist strikes carried out on December 27, 1985.- The attacks :At 08:15 GMT, four gunmen walked to the shared ticket counter for Israel's El Al Airlines and Trans World Airlines at Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport outside Rome, Italy, fired...
terroristsTerrorismTerrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
shot and killed 16 people and wounded 99 other at the airport.
- On 2 April 1986, Trans World AirlinesTrans World AirlinesTrans World Airlines was an American airline that existed from 1925 until it was bought out by and merged with American Airlines in 2001. It was a major domestic airline in the United States and the main U.S.-based competitor of Pan American World Airways on intercontinental routes from 1946...
(TWA) Flight 840TWA Flight 840 (1986)Trans World Airlines Flight 840, registration N54340, was a Boeing 727-231 flying en route from Rome's Fiumicino Airport to Athens. A bomb was detonated on the aircraft while it was over Argos, Greece, ejecting four American passengers to their deaths below. Five others on the aircraft were...
, which was travelling from Fiumicino to Ellinikon International AirportEllinikon International AirportEllinikon International Airport , sometimes spelled Hellinikon was the international airport of Athens, Greece for sixty years up until 2001 when it was replaced by the new Athens International Airport. It is located south of Athens, and just west of Glyfada...
in AthensAthensAthens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, GreeceGreeceGreece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, was bombed, ejecting 4 people out of the plane to their deaths. The plane landed safely.
- On 17 October 1988, Uganda AirlinesUganda AirlinesUganda Airlines was the flag carrier of Uganda. The airline was established in May 1976, and started operations in 1977. It was headquartered in Entebbe, Wakiso District, Uganda, and operated from its hub in Entebbe International Airport under the IATA airline code QU and the ICAO airline code code...
flight 775, en route from London Gatwick AirportLondon Gatwick AirportGatwick Airport is located 3.1 miles north of the centre of Crawley, West Sussex, and south of Central London. Previously known as London Gatwick,In 2010, the name changed from London Gatwick Airport to Gatwick Airport...
to Rome then Entebbe International AirportEntebbe International AirportEntebbe International Airport is the principal international airport of Uganda.-Location:It is located near the town of Entebbe, on the shores of Lake Victoria, and about from the capital, Kampala...
, crashed short of the runway after two missed approaches. 26 of 45 aboard and all 7 crew members died.
- 7 September 2005 – RyanairRyanairRyanair is an Irish low-cost airline. Its head office is at Dublin Airport and its primary operational bases at Dublin Airport and London Stansted Airport....
is under investigation by ANSV, the Italian air accident investigation agency, for an attempted bad weather approach. During an unstabilised approach, the non-flying co-pilot had to intervene to initiate a late go-around, then the crew decided to divert to PescaraPescaraPescara is the capital city of the Province of Pescara, in the Abruzzo region of Italy. As of January 1, 2007 it was the most populated city within Abruzzo at 123,059 residents, 400,000 with the surrounding metropolitan area...
.
External links
- Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport (English/Italian)
- Rome Airport Fiumicino Information (English)
- Boeing Company's listing of Fiumicino Airport, its runways, and noise abatement procedures
- Airport information from World Aeronautical Database
- UK team to plan Rome Fiumicino international terminal expansion