Rome Fiumicino remains on top of Europe.Leonardo da Vinci Airport ha won the ACI Europe Best Airport Award 2026 in the category of airports with over 40 million passengers, confirming itself as one of the most competitive hubs in international air transport. For the Roman airport this is theeighth recognition since 2018 and its fifth consecutive success. The award was presented during the ACI Europe Annual Congress, held in Prague, where Europe's most advanced airports were celebrated for their staff quality, digital transformation, and infrastructure sustainability. The decision was made by an independent jury composed of eight institutional representatives from the European aviation sector, including the European Commission, Eurocontrol, EASA, ECAC, and the SESAR Joint Undertaking.
This new recognition reinforces its already consolidated leadership. In February, Fiumicino also received the title of Best European Airport in ACI World's Airport Service Quality program, based on direct passenger ratings.
The Fiumicino model: quality, innovation, and sustainability
The result rewards an industrial path that Aeroporti di Roma has built in recent years, focusing on operational efficiency, traveler services, innovation and sustainability. Leonardo da Vinci has exceeded in 2025 For the first time, the 51 million passenger threshold was reached, confirming the airport's central role in Italian connectivity and the capital's tourism system.
For Adr, A Mundys Group company, the European award certifies the solidity of the so-called "Fiumicino model," founded on the ability to structurally establish quality and operational management standards. The airport's international positioning was also strengthened by its seventh place in the Skytrax global top ten ranking a few months ago, a result that reflects the global reach of the Roman airport.
Leonardo da Vinci is also among the three European hubs and among the twelve airports in the world with rSkytrax rating of 5 stars for service quality. In the ACI World evaluation, it was named the best airport in Europe for Service Quality in the over 40 million passenger category for the ninth consecutive year.
9 billion plan to reach up to 100 million passengers
The new European affirmation comes as Fiumicino prepares a decisive expansion phase. 9 billion euro Sustainable Development Plan aims to intercept an estimated traffic demand of up to 100 million passengers by 2046. The Masterplan projects the main Italian airport among the major hubs of the Western world, with the aim of strengthen the country's international connectivity, support tourism and increase the competitiveness of the Italian system.
Aeroporti di Roma manages and develops the Fiumicino and Ciampino airports, also handling related and complementary activities to airport management. In 2025, Ciampino's GB Pastine airport joined the elite group of Europe's best regional airports, earning a Skytrax 4-star rating for the first time. Both Rome airports have also received the highest level of accessibility accreditation from ACI World, confirming ADR's commitment to making the travel experience increasingly inclusive.
Troncone: "A strategic platform for the country's competitiveness."
“Confirming Rome Fiumicino once again at the top of European airports means being able to give continuity to an industrial model that combines quality of service, operational efficiency, applied innovation and environmental sustainability”, declared Marco Troncone, Chief Executive Officer of Rome airports"This further significant achievement is due to our people and the entire airport community, but it is especially important for the next phase of development of the Leonardo da Vinci Airport, which represents a project of primary national interest. Traffic growth forecasts and Rome's global importance require adequate infrastructure, targeted investments, and a long-term vision. We want to consolidate the role of the Fiumicino hub as a strategic platform for the country's competitiveness: working in this direction means strengthening Italy's connectivity, supporting tourism and the economy, and capturing a growing share of intercontinental flows."
