After handling a record of more than 49 million passengers in 2024, growth is continuing this year as the Rome hub benefits from its largest ever network
Rome Fiumicino Airport is continuing its traffic growth momentum after a record-breaking 2024 in which the Italian hub increased passenger numbers by 8.7 million to a new high of 49. 2 million.
This eye-catching growth was primarily driven by a 19% surge in available seat capacity, positioning Leonardo da Vinci as the fastest-growing airport in Europe. Fiumicino now ranks as the 7th busiest airport by passenger traffic on the continent, having overtaken major hubs such as London Gatwick and Munich.
The hub also expanded its cargo business with Fiumicino and was the fastest growing airport for cargo in Italy in 2024.
Fiumicino’s strong growth has continued into 2025, a special year in Rome and Italy as it marks Jubilee 2025 – a holy year for pilgrims to visit. The airport handled over 24 million passengers in the first half of the year, up 6% over the same period in 2024. Notably, this is 18% above pre-pandemic traffic levels.
The year began with a strategic milestone: Lufthansa’s acquisition of a stake in ITA Airways, further strengthening Fiumicino’s position as a key intercontinental hub.
Network Expansion
Fiumicino will have its largest-ever transatlantic network this year, with airlines serving 20 US airports directly from the hub. Recent additions include Denver and Minneapolis, operated by United Airlines and Delta Air Lines respectively, along with new services to Miami and Los Angeles by American Airlines and Norse Atlantic Airways.
These developments drove a further increase in the North American market which confirms its leading role in long-haul connectivity to and from Rome.
In Asia, Cathay Pacific resumed its direct service to Hong Kong in June – a key route to the Far East – while ITA launched flights to Bangkok at the end of 2024.
Traffic surged in the Middle East by 19% in the first six months of the year, supported by ITA’s new services to Dubai and Jeddah as well as Oman Air starting flights to Rome from Muscat. There was also significant growth of 18% on services to Africa from Fiumicino, driven by new ITA routes to Accra and Dakar, as well Ethiopian Airlines’ expansion of services.
Europe continues to be a key pillar of Fiumicino’s network, bolstered by the opening of a new easyJet base and five additional routes. Moreover, Condor entered the market with flights to Frankfurt, while new services were launched to Bilbao, Birmingham, Larnaca, Las Palmas, Tbilisi, Zadar and Zaragoza by other airlines.
These developments highlight the significance of the point-to-point segment for Fiumicino. This is sustained by more than 30 aircraft based at the airport by low-cost carriers such as easyJet, Ryanair, Vueling and Wizz Air.
More growth ahead
Further growth is planned for the coming winter season, with the launch of routes including ITA’s new service to Mauritius.
Meanwhile, moves to counter seasonality are also producing positive results by delivering additional operations in the off-peak season. American Airlines, for example, is extending its Dallas route through the winter, while United will retain its Chicago service during the ‘deep winter’ months in operating the route year-round. These are crucial initiatives in developing sustainable growth able to better optimize utilization of airport infrastructure throughout the year.
Looking ahead to 2026, the outlook is equally bright. One key announcement is the arrival of Alaska Airlines, which will make Rome its first European destination. The US carrier is launching Rome-Seattle services in May. Delta will also begin operating on the same route. This reflects the strong and ongoing confidence that international carriers have in Rome and its market.
Beyond its operational performance, Fiumicino continues to earn top international accolades. In 2025 the hub won the ACI Europe Best Airport Award in the 40 million plus passengers category for the seventh time in eight years and it was also reconfirmed with the 5-Star rating by Skytrax – featuring for the first time in the Top 10 world best airports – recognizing excellence in service quality, innovation and passenger experience.
