Bologna Airport Arrivals (BLQ)

Bologna Airport handled over five and a half million passengers in 2010, and this was a record number of passengers for the airport. The airport is located approximately 6 km from the city of Bologna, which is considered to be one of Italy’s most attractive cities, and also nearby the towns of Bargellino, Borgo Panigale and Lippo. Ferrara is only 53 km from Bologna, and has a magnificent castle that is visited by thousands of tourists each year. The more prominent Italian cities of Florence and Milan are within easy driving distance of the airport as well. Passengers arriving at Bologna will find that the terminal building has all the facilities they require, and a number of transportation options.

The airport is extremely proud of their passenger numbers recorded in 2010, as this was their best year ever. By November of 2010 the airport had surpassed the important  ‘five million’ mark, and by the end of the year the figures were over five and a half million. The month of December alone handled over 400,000 passengers. A number of airline companies service the location, the largest being Ryanair. Ryanair serves the majority of destinations from the airport, some of which are local, and some further afield. Meridiana Fly and Alitalia are another two popular airline companies at the airport.

Passengers arriving at Bologna will find a modern and well-equipped terminal building that is built on three levels. The top floor of the building is reserved for restaurant and other food-related services, while the first floor is dedicated to departures. This floor contains the secure boarding area, and the security control points. From the lower level (ground floor) all the arrival flights are handled, and there are two check-in areas on this level as well. All facilities mainly used by arriving passengers are also found on the ground floor, such as the car hire companies with rental offices at Bologna Airport. Many passengers enjoy having their own rented car, as it is by far the best way to explore the Emilia-Romagna region. Car hire companies include Sixt, Avis, Europcar, Hertz, National and Budget.

Other useful facilities in the arrivals area include the automatic payment machines for parking, 10 baggage reclaim carousels and the Lost and Found offices. Passengers who end up in the unfortunate scenario of having lost their luggage, or have found that their luggage has been damaged, should report the incident immediately to staff at these offices. The staff members will then initiate the process of retrieving your luggage. Some airline companies make use of the World Tracer baggage tracing system, and customers of these airlines can visit the World Tracer website to view the progress of their baggage retrieval.

All passengers arriving from non-European countries should declare items that exceed the value of Euro 175. Items with a lower value do not need to be declared provided they are not going to be re-sold for profit. Further information is available on the Customs authority website, at http://www.agenziadogane.it. Foreign passengers will also need to have their passports checked. This includes passengers from a European country, which does not apply regulations stipulated by the Schengen Treaty.

Further facilities at the airport include a children’s play area, a baby changing area, basic first aid facilities, airport information telephones and luggage trolleys. Passengers with a little time to spare at the airport can enjoy a meal at one of the wonderful restaurants, or a snack from a café, and perhaps browse some of the retail outlets available. Once ready to leave the airport, passengers will find a number of transportation options.

A taxi rank is located just outside the arrivals area of the airport, and is always full of taxis waiting to offer their services. It is just a short drive to Bologna, and a taxi is a very convenient and quick way to reach any destination in the city. However, a slightly less expensive option is the bus service. The Aerobus travels every fifteen minutes to the Central Train Station in Bologna, and there are also regular bus services to Modena and Sienna, operated by the bus companies of ATCM and Sena Autolinee. Although there is no train station at the airport, the buses offer a quick trip to the train station in the city, and from here any major destination can be reached by rail.

Many hotels in Bologna offer complimentary shuttle services for their customers’ transport needs as well, two of these hotels are the Best Western and the Sheraton Bologna Hotel, located just a kilometres or two from the airport. The Sheraton hotel offers some excellent conference facilities as well. Other hotels nearby the airport include the Art Hotels Commercianti, Corona d’Oro Hotel, Starhotels Excelsior and the Sofitel Bologna hotel.

Arriving passengers can find out more information about attractions in the area, accommodation and transport from the tourist information point in the arrivals area, and there is also an information point for enquiries regarding conferences and trade fairs in the Bologna area.