Verona Airport handled 2.7 million passengers in 2013, and if the current trend continues, the airport expects to exceed three million passengers by the end of 2014.
Verona is part of the del Garda airport system that manages both Brescia and Verona airports. Verona primarily handles passenger traffic, while Brescia is instead dedicated to cargo. The system handled 2.8 million passengers and 44,000 tonnes of cargo in 2013.
Last year, Verona handled 2.7 million passengers, 1.8 million of which were international. Despite the decline over the previous year, mainly due to the difficult economic situation and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ warning concerning departures to Egypt that lasted from last summer through the autumn period, signs of remarkable recovery were recorded later in the year. Domestic traffic at Verona increased by 5% in the last two months of 2013.
Passenger traffic in April and May this year began to grow significantly, with an 8.8% year-on-year increase in April, and a 6.6% rise in May. An important contribution to growth is the 19 new routes (Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne, Palermo, Bari, Dublin, Amsterdam, Bucharest, Timisoara, Southampton, Barcelona, ??Paris, Cambridge, Geneva, Zurich, Edinburgh, Leeds, Mostar, Zakynthos, and Corfu). The new services have led to a 17% increase in international traffic, while the figure for domestic traffic still remains negative (-4% compared to a year ago). In the 2014 summer season, Verona Airport will be connected to 57 destinations – nine domestic, 34 EU and 14 non-EU. If the current trend continues, the airport expects to exceed three million passengers by the end of 2014.
Verona Airport’s catchment area comprises three Italian regions – Veneto, Lombardy and Trentino-Alto Adige. More than 385,000 SMEs are based in these regions, representing one of the richest and most productive areas in Italy, with a high frequency of business travel. Meanwhile, for incoming traffic, the airport is the main gateway to an important tourist area, well known thanks to its important artistic and cultural heritage, the Dolomite Mountains and Lake Garda, and the strong tradition of cuisine and wine production.
While some of Verona’s 19 new routes have already commenced operations, they will all be fully operational by the end of July. Furthermore, Air One has opened a new base at Verona with five flights to domestic and international destinations.
