Tuesday, February 16, 2010

A Guide to Rome Airport

Da Vinci International Airport

Da Vinci International Airport (now known as Rome Leonardo Da Vinci Fuimicino Airport) is the second largest gateway in Europe that services a total of 30+ million people annually. The airport opened in 1961 with only two runways replacing the Ciampino airport that was designated for domestic and charter flight operations.

Getting To & From Rome Airport

Alitalia Airlines that operates Rome flights invested heavily into the installation of a third runway to handle the increased airline traffic at the airport. Da Vinci airport is approximately 21 miles from the city of Rome by car and as of October 2006 any patron who uses a taxi to and from the airport pay a fixed rate of 40 euros. That rate is pretty high because Italian cabs usually charge a fixed rate depending on the area serviced and it’s most often half that amount for a single trip.

Travelers have the option, if they want to save money on cabs and driving, to use the train system and taking a 30-minute ride to Rome and disembark in downtown Rome at Termini Station. Da Vinci Airport has had only five documented incidents in December 1973, December 1985, April 1986, October 1988, and September 2005 out the airport’s entire 47 and a half years in operation.

Da Vinci airport has four terminals. There are over 122 air carriers that service Da Vinci International Airport with possibly two new airlines being added to the roster of current carriers bringing that number to 124. Da Vinci Airport has more air carriers than Atlanta, Chicago, and Los Angeles the 3 busiest airports in the United States combined. Shopping at Da Vinci airport offers travelers a choice of more than 140 shops throughout the airport that offer many kinds of designer clothing, jewelry, and perfumes.

Most offer vast discounts for things that would be expensive to purchase back in the UK & USA. This is why many Americans who travel through Da Vinci Airport request that things they purchase through the duty free stores to ship them to their house so they can bypass the security check due to restrictions on the quantity of specific items like liquor and perfume because of the current regulations of people flying with liquids in their luggage which was applied to aviation policy after 9/11.