The Amalfi Coast welcomes some five million tourists every year and for a good reason: it is one of the most beautiful areas across the whole Italian peninsula.
The trip to one of the cities and towns dotting this area, however, isn’t as straightforward as tourists would like, with the closest airport being in Naples, more than 35 miles away from the stunning Positano and Amalfi.
But the upcoming reopening of the Salerno Costa d’Amalfi Airport following major renovation works worth more than £250million will make it easier for British tourists to reach the Coast.
The Salerno Costa d’Amalfi Airport is 27 miles away from Amalfi and 31 from Salerno, which has several bus connections to the Amalfi Coast.
The airport was launched in 1926 as a military airfield and evolved over the decades to become also a flying school, firefighting centre and private airport.
In 2007, the airport opened to passenger flights but during the following decade, its commercial operations were winded down to carry out extensive renovation works as part of the “Masterplan 2043” project – including the extension to 1.2 miles of the airfield and the creation of more commercial infrastructure inside the airport.
The commercial operations at this air hub are to resume on July 11, with a first flight landing in Salerno from the Milano Malpensa Airport.
Two days later, easyJet will start its seasonal operations from London Gatwick. From August 4, Ryanair will follow through by launching a service from London Stansted.
Vincenzo de Luca, the president of the Campania region encompassing both Salerno and Naples, said the first major goal for the airport is to welcome three million passengers within the next three years.
To boost the footfall, more work is to take place throughout 2024 and 2025, including a further extension of the airfield.
Moreover, more than £209m have been assigned to the extension of the Salerno underground to bring it closer to the airport.