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✈ Rome Fiumicino Airport leads Italy's record-setting 2024 airport system with a 12.9% passenger increase over pre-Covid 2019, based on January-August data. Italian airports grew above the European average in 2023 with 3.3 million more passengers (+1.7%), ranking Italy third in Europe with 197.2 million passengers, after Spain (281.6 million) and the UK (274.4 million). Low-cost airlines contributed significantly to the growth of 18 out of 20 minor airports in Italy.

🏡 Domestic flight bookings within Italy for Christmas show a 39% decrease compared to 2023. European travelers flying to Italy dropped by 14%. Italy's domestic market, with a 19.4% search share, remains the largest for tourism. The US, constituting 17.7%, is the second-largest market for Christmas 2024 holiday searches in Italy, followed by the UK at 9.5%. Hotel search data places Americans at the top with 33.8% share, and Italians at 19.1%. Rome leads in flight booking preferences at 32.8%, with Milan (27.4%) and Venice (6.7%) following. Sicily, with Catania at 5.6%, benefits from a tourism boost. For hotel choices at Christmas, Rome garners 48.4%, ahead of Milan, Florence, and Venice. In a broader European and Middle Eastern context, London, Dubai, and Paris are the top city destinations, with Milan and Rome at tenth and eleventh.

✈; Volotea, led by CEO Carlos Muñoz, aims to reach 1,000 routes within five years, doubling its turnover. Europe's market potential of 510 million people, with 330 million in under-served cities, fuels this plan. Currently at 450 routes, Volotea's stake in Aegean could increase from 13% to 21% by next year. The airline is also eyeing Ita Airways and Lufthansa's slots at Milan Linate as part of the EU's merger approval conditions, competing with easyJet.