Caught in an almost Hamlet-like dilemma, torn between the ambition to achieve zero emissions by 2050, a shared goal in the global aviation industry, and the race to set new passenger records, Italian airports are savoring the results of 2023 while fulfilling the promise of post-pandemic recovery. What's more, they reaffirm their pivotal role in the country's economy.
A recent study conducted by Nomisma for Assaeroporti highlights the significant contributions of airports to Italy's GDP and employment. The data reveals that the aviation sector's added value amounts to 3.8% of Italy's GDP, "with a substantial contribution from the sector, totaling €65.1 billion in direct, indirect, induced, and catalytic impacts (i.e., the estimated influence of airport infrastructure on the local area)," as emphasized by Carlo Borgomeo, president of Assaeroporti. "It also becomes apparent that the airport system generates approximately 1.3 million jobs, and for every additional million units transported (passengers and cargo), an estimated 552 new airport employees and 6,105 new national-level jobs are created."
These numbers resonate, with the number of passengers carried certifying that pre-Covid levels have been surpassed. In September 2023 alone, Italian airports saw 20 million travelers pass through, a 4.8% increase over 2019 levels. Since the beginning of the year, a total of 152 million passengers have transited, marking a 1.6% increase compared to 2019.
The study underlines the inseparable connection between airports, tourism, industrial, logistical, and commercial activities, stating that "these infrastructures serve as a driving force for activation, and an engine for the economic structure of the country and for the local contexts in which they are situated." However, it is crucial to bear in mind that the establishment of a single airport doesn't automatically ensure prosperity. This is why deputy minister for infrastructure and transport, Galeazzo Bignami, suggests, "We must think in terms of not necessarily reducing them but rationalizing them."
Mariella Cattaneo
Journalist
