# Rome Ciampino Airport

G. B. Pastine–Rome Ciampino Airport (IATA: CIA, ICAO: LIRA) is the secondary international airport serving Rome, the capital of Italy, after Leonardo da Vinci–Rome Fiumicino Airport. It is a joint civilian, commercial and military airport situated 6.5 NM (12.0 km; 7.5 mi) south southeast of central Rome, just outside the Greater Ring Road (Italian: Grande Raccordo Anulare or GRA) the circular motorway around the city.
The airport is a base for two low-cost carriers and general aviation traffic. It also hosts a military airport and the headquarters of the 31º Stormo and the 2nd Reparto Genio of the Italian Air Force. The airport is named after Giovan Battista Pastine, an Italian airship pilot who served in World War I.

## History

Ciampino Airport was opened in 1916 and is one of the oldest airports still in operation.
From here, on 10 April 1926, Umberto Nobile took off on the airship Norge, the first aircraft to reach the North Pole and the first to fly across the polar ice cap from Europe to America. In October 1930, the first helicopter prototype designed by Corradino D'Ascanio was tested at Ciampino Airport, reaching a record altitude of 18 metres (59 ft), flight time of 8 minutes 45 seconds and 1,078 m (3,537 ft) distance flown.
During World War II, the airport was captured by Allied forces in June 1944, and afterward became a United States Army Air Forces military airfield. Although primarily used as a transport base by C-47 Skytrain aircraft of the 64th Troop Carrier Group, the Twelfth Air Force 86th Bombardment Group flew A-36 Apache combat aircraft from the airport during the immediate period after its capture from German forces.
When the combat units moved out, Air Transport Command used the airport as a major transshipment hub for cargo, transiting aircraft and personnel for the remainder of the war.
It was Rome's main airport until 1960, with traffic amounting to over 2 million passengers per year. After the opening of Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport, Ciampino handled almost exclusively charter and executive flights for more than three decades. However, the terminal facilities were extended at the beginning of 2007 to accommodate the growing number of low-cost carrier operations.

## Facilities
### Passenger terminal

The airport features a single, one-story passenger terminal building containing the departures and arrivals facilities. The departures area consists of a main hall with some stores and service facilities as well as 31 check-in counters and 16 departure gates using walk or bus boarding as there are no jet-bridges. The arrivals area has a separate entrance and features four baggage belts as well as some more service counters.

### Other usage

The airport hosts a fleet of Bombardier 415 aerial firefighting aircraft. It is also used by express logistics companies such as DHL, by official flights of the Italian Government and by planes of dignitaries visiting the Italian capital. There is also an additional smaller general aviation terminal, although private flights have now mainly been transferred to Rome Urbe Airport.

## Airlines and destinations

The following passenger airlines operate regular scheduled and charter flights to and from Ciampino Airport:
| Airlines | Destinations |
| Ryanair | Bratislava, Bucharest–Otopeni, Budapest, Cagliari, Charleroi, Cork, Edinburgh, Fez, Gdansk, Kraków, London–Stansted, Manchester, Marrakesh, Poznan, Prague, Rabat, Riga, Sofia, Tallinn (ends 27 March 2025), Tangier, Thessaloniki, Tirana, Vilnius, Warsaw–Modlin Seasonal: Amman–Queen Alia, Corfu, East Midlands, Liverpool, Paphos, Rhodes |
| Wizz Air | Belgrade, Craiova, Iași, Kutaisi, Skopje, Timișoara |

## Statistics

After decades of stagnation in scheduled traffic, low-cost carriers have boosted Ciampino; it is now one of the busiest and fastest growing airports in Italy. Passenger traffic in 2007 was 5,402,000 (9.24% up from 2006; 2006 itself had seen an increase of 16.75% compared to 2005). Traffic has grown so much that noise complaints are now forcing the Italian Ministry of Transport to look for a third airport for Rome, which could take over some part of the excess traffic of Ciampino. Passenger traffic in 2008 was 4,788,931 with a decrease of 11.31% compared to 2007 due to economic crisis and EasyJet gradually moving routes to Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport. In 2014, passenger traffic amounted to 5,018,289, and in 2015 the airport handled 5,834,201 passengers.

## Ground transportation
### Private Transfer

Private transfer companies offer pre-booked, door-to-door service from Ciampino Airport to destinations in Rome or beyond including popular destinations such as Vatican City or the Colosseum. Bookings are made online, and drivers meet passengers in the arrivals hall with a sign. This option ensures convenience and are available in 24/7.

### Taxi

The Official Taxi are Licensed white taxis (identified by "TAXI" roof signs) are available outside the terminal. Taxis are operate the City of Rome and have a fare rate for a single journey between Ciampino Airport and the area of the City of Rome within the Aurelian Walls (historical central Rome).The journey to central Rome typically takes 30-40 minutes, depending on traffic conditions.

### Shuttle Buses

Shared shuttle buses provide budget-friendly transfers to central Rome, primarily terminating at Termini Station (Rome’s main railway station). Several companies are operate regular service such as Terravision, SIT Bus, and Schiaffini Travel. These buses departures every 30-40 minutes throughout the day.
* Terravision operates buses every 30 minutes to Termini Station, with a travel time of approximately 40 minutes. Tickets cost €6 one-way and can be purchased online or onboard.
* SIT Bus Shuttle offers routes to Termini Station and stops near Vatican City, with fares starting at €7 one-way.
* Schiaffini Travel provides services to Tiburtina Station in eastern Rome for €5 one-way.

### Public Transport

Public transport provides a cost-effective way to travel between Ciampino Airport and Rome. But from the Ciampino does not have a direct train or metro connection, so travelers can use a combination of bus and train or bus and metro services to reach the city center.
* Bus + Train: Traveler can take local bus (Atral bus) from Ciampino Airport to Ciampino Railway Station. From there, regional trains run to Rome Termini Station take approximately 15 minutes.
* Bus + Metro: Another public transport option is to take a bus from Ciampino Airport to Anagnina Metro Station, which is the terminus of Metro Line A. Buses such as ATRAL and COTRAL operate on this route, with a travel time of about 20 minutes. The Ciampino station is served by the FL4 and FL6 lines of the Lazio regional railways, which both travel to Rome Termini Station and to the main railway destinations in Lazio. From Anagnina, passengers can take the metro to various parts of Rome, including the city center.

## Accidents and incidents

* Defects in the design of the de Havilland Comet jet airliner were discovered as the result of inflight breakups on two Comets that departed from Ciampino:
** On 10 January 1954, BOAC Flight 781, a de Havilland Comet, broke up in mid air and crashed into the Mediterranean twenty minutes after takeoff from Ciampino Airport, en route to London Heathrow Airport.
** On 8 April 1954, two weeks after Comets were allowed to resume flying following a temporary grounding resulting from the previous crash, South African Airways Flight 201, another Comet, broke up shortly after takeoff and crashed not far from Ponza.
* On 21 December 1959, Vickers Viscount I-LIZT of Alitalia crashed short of the runway on a training flight exercise in landing with two engines inoperative. Both people on board were killed.
* On 10 November 2008, Ryanair Flight 4102 from Hahn suffered damage during landing. The cause of the accident was stated to be birdstrikes affecting both engines. The port undercarriage of the Boeing 737-8AS collapsed. The aircraft involved was Boeing 737-8AS EI-DYG, delivered new to Ryanair from Boeing. There were 6 crew and 166 passengers on board. The airport was closed for over 24 hours as a result of the accident. Two crew and eight passengers were taken to hospital with minor injuries. As well as damage to the engines and undercarriage, the rear fuselage was also damaged by contact with the runway. The final report of the accident, investigated by ANSV (National Agency for the Safety of Flights) was released on 20 December 2018, more than 10 years after the accident.