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Catania Vincenzo Bellini Airport
Catania Vincenzo Bellini Airport
IATA: CTA – ICAO: LICC
Summary
Airport type	Public
Operator	SAC
Location	Catania
Elevation AMSL	39 ft / 12 m
Coordinates	37°28′00″N 15°03′50″E / 37.4666667°N 15.06389°ECoordinates: 37°28′00″N 15°03′50″E / 37.4666667°N 15.06389°E
Website	aeroporto.catania.it
Runways
	Source: Italian AIP at EUROCONTROL

Catania-Fontanarossa Airport

Location of Catania-Fontanarossa Airport, Italy

Catania-Vincenzo Bellini Airport (Italian: Aeroporto di Catania-Fontanarossa Vincenzo Bellini) (IATA: CTA, ICAO: LICC) is located 2.3 NM (4.3 km; 2.6 mi) southwest^[1] of Catania, the second largest city on the Italian island of Sicily. The airport is named after the great opera composer Vincenzo Bellini who was born in Catania.

It is the busiest airport in Sicily and the 6th busiest in Italy with 6,054,469 passengers in 2008, but in terms of domestic traffic it ranks at the 3rd place, after Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport and Linate Airport.

In order to cope with the increasing passengers figures, a new terminal, equipped with 20 gates and 6 loading bridges, opened on May 8, 2007 replacing the old facilities, but a further enlargement of the terminal area seems already necessary.

[edit] History

Catania Airport's history dates back to 1924, when it was the region's very first airport. During World War II it was seized by the Allies during the Sicilian Campaign and used by the United States Army Air Forces as a military airfield. Twelfth Air Force used the airport as a combat airfield, stationing the 340th Bombardment Group, which flew B-25 Mitchells from 27 Aug-19 Nov 1943. In addition, the HQ, 51st Troop Carrier Wing used the airport from 29 Sep 1943 to 29 Jun 1944. Various transport units used the airport for the rest of the war, afterward it was turned back over to civil authorities.^[2]

By the late 1940s, it was clear that the airport was fast running out of space and it was deemed necessary to relocate and in 1950, the new bigger and improved Catania Airport opened for business.

After 20 years of unexpected growth and high passengers levels, in 1981 it was once again necessary to restructure the airport to cope with demand. More recently in 2007, a state of the art new terminal building was inaugurated.

[edit] Security and controls

SAC SECURITY provides all the compulsory security and inspection services at the airport. In particular, it handles security and inspection/controls for departing and transiting passengers, enforces hand-baggage limits at the departure gates, and all other inspections/controls required by the airport authorities.

Following an increase in the level of security inspections passengers are reminded to arrive at the airport well in advance of their flight departure time.

[edit] Transport

The airport is conveniently located close to the A19 motorway, which links Catania with Palermo and central Sicily, while the European route E45 runs to Syracuse in the south. A shuttle bus service provides transport into Catania city centre and the Central Train Station, while scheduled bus services to other parts of the island are also available direct from the airport. Passengers requiring a more comfortable ride can take a taxi from the terminal building into the city or beyond, with popular locations including nearby Syracuse, Taormina, and the westerly resorts of Palermo and Marsala.

[edit] Airlines and destinations

Major airlines such as British Airways and Lufthansa offer services here and connect numerous European destinations such as Munich and London, while domestic airlines offer extensive flights to many of the regions major destinations. The current "investment programme" has ensured that Catania Fontanarossa Airport continues to look forward and plan for growth over the next ten years, implementing a whole new infrastructure and making many additions, including a panoramic restaurant, a new airside runway and further office space.

Airlines	Destinations
Aer Lingus	Dublin [seasonal]
Air Berlin	Basel [begins 9 May], Cologne/Bonn, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Munich, Stuttgart, Zürich
Air Italy	Naples
Air Malta	Geneva, London-Gatwick, Malta, Munich
Alitalia	Bologna, Milan-Linate, Milan-Malpensa, Rome-Fiumicino, Venice-Marco Polo
Alitalia operated by Air One	Genoa, Naples, Rome-Fiumicino
Austrian Airlines	Vienna [seasonal]
Blue Air	Bacau, Bucharest-Băneasa
BluExpress	Rome-Fiumicino
British Airways	London-Gatwick
Brussels Airlines	Brussels
EasyJet	Milan-Malpensa, Paris-De Gaulle [begins 9 February]
EgyptAir	Cairo, Luxor, Sharm-el-Sheikh
Iberia	Madrid [begins 23 July]
Iberia operated by Air Nostrum	Barcelona [begins 23 July]
Lufthansa	Munich
Luxair	Luxembourg [seasonal]
Meridiana	Bologna, Florence, Lampedusa, Milan-Linate, Turin, Venice-Marco Polo, Verona
Smart Wings	Prague [begins 28 May]
Trawel Fly	Milan-Orio al Serio
Wind Jet	Barcelona [seasonal], Forlì, Milan-Linate, Milan-Orio al Serio, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Parma, Pisa, Rome-Fiumicino, Turin, Venice, Verona
Wizzair	Bucharest-Baneasa

[edit] See also

Palermo International Airport - Sicily's other international airport
Trapani-Birgi Airport - also known as Vincenzo Florio Airport
Comiso Airport V. Magliocco - the fourth civil airport (ex NATO base) on Sicily

[edit] References

^ ^a ^b EAD Basic
^ Maurer, Maurer. Air Force Combat Units of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History, 1983. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.

[edit] External links

Official Site (Italian) (English)
Current weather for LICC at NOAA/NWS
Accident history for CTA at Aviation Safety Network

[AIP-0] EAD Basic

[1] Maurer, Maurer. Air Force Combat Units of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History, 1983. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.

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