Alghero Airport (AHO)

Alghero Airport is one of a few important airports on Italy’s island of Sardinia. It lies on the north-western coast of Sardinia, while Olbia and Cagliari are the other two on the island, serving different locations. It is situated around 12 km from the center of the city, within the Sassari area. Alghero is a seaport town well known for its fishing port, and with a population of around 50,000 inhabitants. The town is located nearby Zuari, which lies to the north-east, while Vilanove Monteleone lies to the south-east. The town of Fertilia is only 5 km away, and for this reason, it is often referred to as Alghero-Fertilia Airport. 

Alghero Airport is also well known as Riviera del Corallo, due to its location in this area, or very often Aeroporti di Alghero, in the Italian language. The official IATA code is AHO, and its ICAO code is listed as LIEA. Motorists can easily get here from the SS291 and SP44 motorways, or there are a variety of alternative transportation options for those passengers who do not wish to drive their own vehicles. Passengers with a GPS navigation system can use the following co-ordinates:  Latitude - 40°37'52" N, and Longitude - 08°17'19" E. 

Its history does not date as far back as many of the other airports in Italy as it was only constructed during the Second World War, while many others were in existence from the very early 1900’s. The airport was also used for military purposes much longer than many others Italian. It was only during the 1980’s that the airport was fully integrated into a civilian establishment. During the war, and over the years that followed, its main use was for pilot training activities by the Basic Flying School SVBI. This activity inspired the Alitalia Flying School a few years later. 

When Alghero airport began there was no real air terminal building, just the hangar on the east side for all activities. Therefore, it was a significant improvement in 1968 when it finally received its proper terminal building. Shortly thereafter, during the 70’s, the runway was extended from 2,200 meters to 3,000 meters, allowing for the landing of larger aircraft, and more efficient operations. The runway is also 45 meters wide, which is the average width of all the main international airport runways. Further improvements and upgrading of the air terminal has recently taken place, ensuring it is ready for the 21st century, and a steady increase in passengers. It is now a modern and welcoming building, which is also functional, with all the facilities required by its passengers, and capable of handling two million passengers per year.   

The Airport handles a wide variety of domestic flights, and international flights as well. London is a very popular long-haul flight, with a duration of about two and a half hours, while many of the major Italian cities are served by the airline companies at the airport. Ryanair is the most popular airline company which serves the majority of destinations. Some of which include Ancona, Brescia, Rome-Ciampino, Pisa, Milan-Orio al Serio, Parma, Venice-Treviso, Verona, Dublin, Eindhoven, Gothenburg City, Hahn, Girona, Madrid and London-Stansted. Alitalia is the second most significant airline company present, with flights to Bologna, Milan-Linate, Rome-Fiumicino and Turin. They also offer seasonal flights to Barcelona, Brussels and Paris-Charles de Gaulle. Air One offers frequent flights to Milan-Malpensa, while Meridiana Fly travels to Bari and Verona. Other airline companies mostly offer seasonal flights, include Thomson Airways and Bmibaby. 

Currently, Alghero Airport handles approximately one and a half million passengers per year. During the 1990’s the airport saw a decline in passenger traffic. The reason was mainly due to the general tourism industry in Sardinia, which required investment and attention. Certain issues were resolved, and by the year 2000, the passenger numbers were on the rise. Between the year 2000 and 2004, approximately 600,000 passengers traveled annually on domestic flights from other major Italian airports, while international connections became increasingly popular. 400,000 passengers were traveling internationally by 2004, which was an increase by 300,000 passengers from the year 2000. In 2009, the figure of 1,507,016 passengers was recorded. 

The grounds cover a total area of 246 hectares. The new modern terminal building handles all arrival and departure flights, both domestic and international, and is easy to navigate. All arrivals are handled from one side, and all departures from the other. There are 17 check-in desks, seven gates and two baggage reclaim carousels within the airport. There is also an adequate range of facilities available for arriving and departing passengers. Banks, ATMs and currency exchange services are available, along with a pharmacy, business services, left luggage area, lost and found offices and a tourist information desk. Alghero airport is also fully accessible to disabled passengers, with adequate toilet facilities, ramps and lifts. Further assistance can also be arranged with the passenger’s airline company. A number of interesting shops are available, as well as a few enticing bars, cafés and restaurants. 

This airport is the perfect location at which to arrive to begin a wonderful and sunny holiday in Sardinia. Find below a choice of Airlines, destination and flight times.