Interview with Nazareno Ventola, CEO and Managing Director, Bologna Airport

29 Oct Interview with Nazareno Ventola, CEO and Managing Director, Bologna Airport

Bologna Airport achieved its best year ever in 2024, handling 10.8 million passengers, with strong growth in cargo and profitability. Can you introduce the airport to our readers and provide an overview and highlights of it?

Bologna Airport is a midsize leisure airport located in one of Italy’s most important regions for both economic and touristic activity. Bologna is uniquely positioned at the intersection of Italy’s high-speed rail and motorway networks. Since 2012, the rail system has connected Bologna quickly to major cities: Rome in two hours, Milan in one, Venice in one and a half and Florence in just 30 minutes. This makes Bologna Airport not only a gateway to the city and region but also a strategic entry point to the rest of the country. Bologna Airport is managed by our company, which employs around 600 people, rising to 700 during summer peaks. Altogether, including airline staff, retailers and state agencies, about 3,000 people work at the airport daily.

Bologna Airport is the seventh busiest in Italy, reaching a record 10.8 million passengers in 2024. After dropping from 9.4 million in 2019 to just 2.5 million during the pandemic, traffic recovered steadily and by 2023 had already surpassed pre-COVID levels with 9.9 million passengers. 2024 marked our best year ever — not only in traffic but also in financial performance and infrastructure investment, as we continue improving services for both customers and shareholders. Our catchment area extends far beyond Emilia-Romagna’s 4 million residents, reaching nearly 11 million people, including parts of Tuscany.

Florence, for example, relies on Bologna for larger international flights due to runway limits and thanks to high-speed rail, travelers can reach Florence city center from our airport in under an hour. Bologna is also at the heart of the Motor Valley, home to brands like Ferrari, Maserati and Bugatti. This strong mix of business, leisure and visiting-friends-and-relatives traffic, combined with our unique location, drives demand and supports our ongoing investment in service quality and infrastructure growth.

The 10.8 million passengers represent an 8% increase over 2023, who arrived or took off on 5.9% more planes than in 2023 too. What factors drove this high growth, and which market segments or carriers contributed most?

Our catchment area has one of the highest GDPs per capita in Italy, second only to Milan, with strong economic activity and high travel demand. The region also attracts significant inbound tourism. Bologna Airport is served by all major European carriers — Lufthansa, KLM, Air France, British Airways, Iberia, Austrian and more — connecting us to every key European hub with multiple daily frequencies. Intercontinental links include Emirates’ daily Dubai service, launched in 2015, and two to three daily Turkish Airlines flights to Istanbul.

The main gap remains a direct US connection, making Bologna the largest unserved Italian destination for North America. With our strategic location and easy access to Venice, Milan and Florence, we believe this route will soon become a reality.

With nearly 50,000 square feet of commercial space, food services account for 43%, retail 35% and duty-free 22% of airport revenue. How are you rethinking the airport retail experience in response to evolving passenger expectations and could you expand on the airport’s partnership with Lamborghini?

We aim to give passengers a sense of place. A good example is our partnership with Lamborghini: visitors are greeted by a showcase car at the terminal entrance, there is a branded retail area and even a Lamborghini ‘Follow-Me’ car guiding aircraft on the runway — an internet favorite. Beyond aviation, non-aeronautical revenues such as retail and parking are key to our profitability. We have expanded the Schengen area with new commercial spaces and recently opened the first stage of a multi-story car park with 1,000 spaces, to be doubled next year. Given our wide catchment area, demand for parking remains very strong.

When it comes to infrastructure development, we follow Italian and EU regulations and tender procedures. Whenever EU support is available, we are eager to take advantage of it.

The Schengen arrivals area is undergoing expansion, expected to complete in August 2025. This is one of several ongoing upgrades. Was this expansion completed on schedule?

The Schengen upgrade, started last year, is being carried out in phases to avoid disrupting passenger flows. We have already opened new areas and work on gates and boarding zones will continue step by step until completion by the end of 2025, on schedule. The project includes new technology and a full refurbishment of security controls, improving one of the most stressful points of the passenger journey. We expanded the queuing area and, more importantly, introduced new CT scanners in March. These allow passengers to keep liquids and laptops in their bags and carry up to two liters, so even a bottle of wine can pass through security. Only five airports in Italy currently offer this technology. The result is faster checks, with waiting times cut by 50%, making the journey smoother and more relaxed for passengers.

We use eGates for departures and have invested heavily in digitalization to improve the passenger journey. Technology helps us both streamline flows and monitor bottlenecks, supported by staff when needed, especially during terminal works. Digital tools also allow us to share information on services and retail options throughout the airport. Ultimately, digitalization is key to enhancing service quality and the overall passenger experience.

Airports across Europe are under pressure to become greener. Bologna has already introduced several sustainability measures. What are your top priorities when it comes to making the airport more sustainable?

Sustainability is key for growth and social acceptance in Europe. Bologna Airport is committed to becoming net zero by 2030. We have already installed photovoltaic panels on the terminal and baggage system and by 2030 a larger PV plant will supply half of our electricity. These measures address our direct emissions (scope 1 and 2), while we also work with airlines to reduce indirect emissions (scope 3) through sustainable fuels like SAF.

What is your final message to the millions of readers of USA Today who may be longing for a direct connection to Bologna?

I recommend flying to Bologna. Thanks to strong connections through major European hubs, it is easy to reach. Bologna ranks seventh in Italy for passengers but fourth for global connectivity, after Rome, Milan and Venice. The city and region are investing heavily in new technologies and innovation, making it an attractive destination for companies and entrepreneurs to collaborate with us.