Catania Airport
Useful information about Catania airport, Sicily's most important air hub: connections to the city centre, buses to other destinations, facilities and services.
You’ve decided that Sicily is your next holiday destination and want to book your flight straight away. But have you thought about where to arrive? Sicily is a large island with several airports: is it better to choose the one with the cheapest flights or the one closest to the places you want to visit?
There’s no single answer. Prices and flight times certainly play a big role in your choice, but before you start searching for flights, it’s worth knowing what options are available so you can make a fully informed decision. If you’re saving a few dozen euros but end up travelling hundreds of kilometres, there’s no real saving to be had. Conversely, there might be an airport you haven’t considered that’s convenient for your destinations and offers deals that genuinely save you money.
Below you’ll find essential information on the six most important airports in Sicily, including the islands. Among these are some major hubs for domestic traffic and others that cater mainly to summer tourism.
Sicily’s busiest airport by passenger numbers is Catania Airport (official name: Vincenzo Bellini Catania-Fontanarossa Airport, IATA code: CTA), which ranks among Italy’s top 10 airports.
Located in the eastern part of the island in a strategic position for connections to central and northern Italy, it’s served by numerous low-cost flights—some seasonal—as well as major carriers. It’s recommended if you want a holiday in eastern Sicily, whether you stay in the surrounding area or travel north or south.
It’s about 10 km from Catania’s city centre, easily accessible by bus or taxi.
In our dedicated guide to Catania Airport, you’ll find all the information on transport links to the city, available terminal services and how to check arrivals and departures in real time.
Sicily’s second most important airport is Palermo (official name: Falcone and Borsellino International Airport at Punta Raisi, IATA code: PMO). It’s southern Italy’s third busiest airport and, like Catania’s, ranks among Italy’s top 10.
It’s located in Cinisi municipality, roughly 35 km from Palermo’s city centre. Getting to the airport by public transport is very straightforward because the terminal has a railway station; there’s also a shuttle bus service from early morning until the last flights. If you prefer to hire a car, you can travel easily east, west or south: Palermo Airport’s central location makes it a convenient hub for pretty much any destination in Sicily.
Flights to and from Palermo operated by low-cost and national carriers connect Sicily to all the main Italian cities and Europe’s most important capitals. There are also flights to smaller European destinations, many of them seasonal, and a couple of destinations outside Europe.
If you’ve chosen Palermo as your arrival point, our Palermo Airport page has detailed information on how to reach the city centre, available passenger services and how to check arrival and departure times.
If you want to concentrate your holiday on western Sicily, we recommend the Trapani Airport (official name: Vincenzo Florio Trapani-Birgi Airport, IATA code: TPS), located about 15 km south-west of the city centre.
It’s a city airport that was originally designed to meet local residents’ needs but has expanded thanks to the growth in low-cost flights. Today you can fly from here to around a dozen destinations in Italy and Europe.
For information on getting around once you’ve landed, what services you’ll find in the terminal and how to check flight times, consult our Trapani Airport guide.
The main airport serving southern Sicily is Ragusa (official name: Pio La Torre Comiso Airport, IATA code: CIY). It’s located in Comiso municipality, roughly 15 km from Ragusa’s city centre.
It’s primarily a low-cost carrier hub, with Ryanair leading the way, so good deals are easy to find. Consider it if you’re planning a holiday in south-eastern Sicily: from here you can easily reach famous destinations like Syracuse, Noto, Modica and Marzameni; Agrigento is about 100 km away.
We recommend hiring a car from the airport.
On our Comiso Airport page, you’ll find all the practical information: how to reach the main destinations, available airport services and where to check arrivals and departures.
Lampedusa Airport (IATA code: LMP) is the main gateway for anyone wanting to visit the remote Pelagie Islands.
It’s a small airport very close to the island’s main settlement—so close that if it weren’t for luggage you could almost walk there (it takes about 15 minutes, and once in the centre you can reach other island locations by bus). From the island you can reach the smaller island of Linosa by ferry.
Only six airlines operate flights from this airport (a mix of national and low-cost carriers), and most flights are seasonal only.
Pantelleria Airport (IATA code: PNL) is the main gateway to this beautiful and exclusive island in Trapani Province. You can also reach it by ship from Trapani and Mazara del Vallo, but if you want to spend your entire holiday on the island, flying is preferable.
Scheduled and low-cost flights operate from Sicily’s main cities and major cities on mainland Italy. From the terminal you can reach the island’s main settlement by bus.
In the following map you can see the location of the main places of interest mentioned in this article.
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