Olbia Airport Departures (OLB)

Olbia Airport is one of Italy’s smaller airports, but still a very important gateway to the island of Sardinia. It is actually one of the three main airports on the island, and serves the northeastern regions of Sardinia. The northwestern part of Sardinia is served by Alghero Airport, while the southern areas are in the region of Cagliari Airport. Cagliari Airport is the largest on the island. Olbia Airport is located approximately four kilometres from the town centre of Olbia, and handles around one and a half million passengers per year. Various airline companies serve the airport, and fly to local and international destinations, and departing passengers will find that Olbia Airport’s terminal building is well equipped with a wide range of useful facilities.

Olbia Airport is served by a number of airline carriers, which include some low-cost airline companies. However, Ryanair is based at Alghero Airport, and does not offer flights from Olbia Airport. Ryanair is well known in many countries as the low-cost giant, and is very popular at many Italian Airports. From Olbia Airport, Meridiana Fly handles the majority of destinations, and Air Italy and Easyjet are also popular airline carriers. Meridiana Fly offers flights to destinations such as Bologna, Bari, Milan-Linate, Cagliari, Rome-Fiumicino and Paris Charles de Gaulle, while Easyjet handles the destinations of Bristol, London-Gatwick, Lyon and Milan-Malpensa. Air Italy flies to Catania, Genoa and Milan-Orio al Serio. A number of other airline companies are available as well, such as Air Berlin, Norwegian Air Shuttle, Lufthansa, Alitalia and Air One.

Passengers departing from Olbia Airport will find a modern and well-organized terminal, which was, in 2004, completely renovated and upgraded. The building is now a very functional space, but at the same time, very welcoming and comfortable for all its passengers. Since that Olbia Airport is not very large, the terminal building has a straightforward layout that is easy to navigate. Passengers should ensure that they arrive at Olbia Airport in good time for their departure flight, leaving sufficient time to find parking, check in hold baggage and pass through the security check points. Traffic is not usually much of a problem in Olbia, but during rush hours, it is always best to leave some spare time. Passengers can confirm when exactly they should be at the airport from the information on their airline ticket, which usually shows by when check-in should be completed. Generally, for domestic flights, it is recommended to arrive at the airport an hour before departure, while for international flights, two or three hours may be required.

The check-in procedure at the airport is when the passenger receives his/her boarding pass, and hands over any baggage that should be transported in the hold. The passenger can then proceed through the security checkpoint, and wait for departure in the secure departure lounge on the airside of the airport. All baggage should be clearly marked with the passenger’s name, surname and address, and should preferably not exceed the baggage allowance set by the airline company. All airline companies may differ in their baggage requirements, and it also depends on in which class you are travelling, but in general, two items are allowed per passenger, and each should not weight more than 20 kg. If your luggage is heavier, you will need to pay an excess baggage charge at the ticket office, located in the departures area.

Various items of hand luggage may be brought on board most airplanes, including laptops, reading material, coats or jackets, walking sticks or umbrellas and baby strollers, but each of these items will need to be x-rayed at security. In order to facilitate the security process, passengers are advised to wear or bring as few objects made of metal as possible. The new liquid regulations in Italian airports limit the amount of liquids that may be carried on board the aircraft. Passengers should place each separate liquid item in containers of no more than 100ml, and should also not have a total liquid quantity of more than one litre. These items must be placed in a clear and transparent re-sealable plastic bag, which is now available from dispensers at most airports, and handed to security for inspection. There are no limits on baby foods and special dietary foods that will be needed for the duration of the flight.

Olbia Airport offers various facilities within its terminal building. There is a full service bank located in the departure area, along with ATMs and currency exchange facilities, as well as the MBC, which stands for the Meeting and Business Centre. Very modern, spacious and comfortable rooms are available for business meetings, and various items of equipment for use can be requested. Catering services and other business tasks can be carried out by the secretarial services available at the MBC. There is a VIP lounge at Olbia Airport, numerous shopping opportunities, including a duty-free store, and a couple of nice restaurants and bars which offer traditional Sardinian cuisine. The airport is also fully accessible to disabled passengers, with all the adaptations they require for comfort.

Transport options to Olbia Airport include by bus or taxi, and motorists will find plenty of parking facilities at the airport. Further information is available from Olbia Airport’s official website, at http://www.geasar.it/eng/airport. The Olbia Airport Arrivals schedules of the airline carriers are also available from this website.