Anyone planning to travel to Naples or the surrounding region in November 2026 should be aware of one important fact: the Flughafen Napoli Capodichino is closed to commercial air traffic for the entire month. Arrivals and departures will be relocated for four weeks to the Aeroporto di Salerno Costa d'Amalfi e del Cilento in Pontecagnano Faiano, in the neighbouring province of Salerno to the south-east of Naples. For passengers who have already booked flights to Naples, this means reviewing their travel plans and arranging alternative routes to their actual destinations on the coast, in the hinterland, or in the city itself.
What exactly is happening in November 2026?
From 1 to 30 November 2026, all commercial flight operations at Flughafen Napoli Capodichino for all arrivals and departures will be suspended. The closure is due to comprehensive renovation works on the runway and taxiways, with a total investment of around 19.4 million euros, according to the specialist portal Missionline. The planning is overseen by GESAC, the operating company that manages both Naples airport and the alternative airport in Salerno. Italy's civil aviation authority, ENAC, has accompanied the project with the aim of optimising time slots and reducing the impact on air traffic.
The timing of the closure has been deliberately chosen. Napoli Capodichino handled over 13.2 million passengers in 2025, with November traditionally being the quietest month of the year. The decision to carry out the works during this window minimises the number of passengers affected compared with a closure during the summer peak season. The works were originally planned for February 2026 but were subsequently moved to November to make better use of the capacity at Salerno's alternative airport.
Airlines and routes affected
For the four weeks of the closure, Aeroporto di Salerno will take on the majority of commercial air traffic from the Naples area. According to a summary published by the regional newspaper Agro24 , confirmed relocations already include easyJet's daily scheduled service to Milano Malpensa, with some frequencies doubled, as well as Vueling's connections to Barcelona.
Further routes are to be added, according to regional broadcaster TVOggi Salerno : Iberia with a daily flight to Madrid, supplemented by flydubai's charter service to Dubai, which is also expected to operate daily. The relocation of ITA Airways' flight to Milano Linate is likewise anticipated, though at the time of writing it had not yet appeared in the airline's booking system for November. All passengers with a Naples booking for November are therefore advised to check directly with their airline or through the booking system to confirm the actual departure airport.
Why Salerno? The alternative airport in detail
The Aeroporto di Salerno Costa d'Amalfi e del Cilento (IATA code QSR) is located in Pontecagnano Faiano, around 20 kilometres to the south-east of Salerno city centre. It is the second commercial airport in the Campania region and, following years of operation for private flights, was opened to scheduled commercial services in summer 2024. Regular routes are served by, among others, Ryanair, easyJet and Volotea, with destinations including Bergamo, London, Berlin, Basel, Geneva, Nantes and Cagliari.
During the closure period in November 2026, Salerno airport will serve as the replacement hub for the entire region. For GESAC and the management of the Salerno site, the month will also serve as an important practical test, as the portal Missionline and other specialist media emphasise: if Salerno handles the additional passenger volume well, this will strengthen the case for further investment in its expansion and may attract additional airlines to include the airport permanently in their networks.
From Salerno to key destinations: Naples, the Amalfi Coast, Sorrento
Several travel options are available from Salerno airport for onward journeys to the region's popular destinations. For connections to Salerno city centre, BusItalia Campania offers the Salerno Airlink, a combined rail and bus service that can be booked as a combined ticket via Trenitalia. For those heading to Pontecagnano railway station, the airport is reachable by taxi at a fixed official fare of around 25 euros. A fixed fare of around 50 euros applies for direct journeys to Salerno city centre, and around 35 euros to Battipaglia.
By car , the airport is accessible via the Autostrada A2/A3 Salerno-Reggio Calabria, using the exits Pontecagnano Sud/Aeroporto (from the north) or Montecorvino Pugliano (from the south). Those continuing from Salerno to Naples can reach the city by train in around 40 minutes. For the Amalfi Coast , the SITA Sud bus lines depart from Salerno, or in the summer months there are ferry services. For the Sorrentine Peninsula, the classic route remains: train from Salerno to Naples, then the Circumvesuviana to Sorrento.
What travellers should do now
For all those wishing to travel to the region in November 2026, several preparatory steps are recommended. The first priority is to check one's booking: all passengers with an existing Naples booking should expect their departure or arrival airport to be changed from NAP (Naples) to QSR (Salerno). Airlines will notify passengers directly, but checking one's booking status proactively will help avoid any surprises on the day of travel.
Those planning onward connections to further destinations should build in a generous time buffer . The journey from Salerno Airport to the centre of Naples takes between 90 minutes and two hours, depending on traffic and the route chosen. For travel to the Amalfi Coast, the route via Salerno may actually prove more convenient than the classic approach via Napoli Capodichino. For journeys to the Sorrentine Peninsula or to Ischia and Procida (ferry connections from Napoli), a longer transfer should be anticipated. Those who plan their stay with sufficient flexibility will be able to navigate most of the logistical pitfalls that the one-month closure of Napoli Capodichino Airport brings with it.
