The Rome Airport "Leonardo da Vinci" in Fiumicino has once again been named the best airport in Europe. As Adnkronos reports, Italy's largest airport received the ACI EUROPE Best Airport Award 2026 in the category of airports with more than 40 million passengers per year. With this, Rome Airport confirms its leading position in European air travel and continues an impressive series of international awards.
Rome Airport continues its winning streak
The current honour is not an isolated case. According to information from Teleborsa , the airport of Rome has been named the best airport in Europe eight times since 2018. Particularly noteworthy is the fact that Fiumicino has now won the award for the fifth time in a row .
The jury highlighted in particular the exceptional service quality, the consistent digitalisation of many processes, modern technologies, and the continuous investments in sustainability. In addition, the airport impressed with efficient operations and a modern overall concept that makes the stay considerably more pleasant for millions of travellers.
More than just an airport
Rome Airport is Italy's most important international air traffic hub. From here, there are direct connections to hundreds of destinations worldwide. At the same time, Fiumicino serves as a central transfer hub for domestic flights and international connections.
As RTL 102.5 reports, travellers today benefit from modern check-in systems, biometric procedures, high punctuality, and a continuously improved infrastructure. As a result, the airport has been able to steadily expand its position in the European comparison.
Especially for holidaymakers from Germany, Rome Airport is often the first point of contact with Italy. Many travellers then continue their journey by train or domestic flight and can reach almost all regions of the country from Fiumicino.
Record year with more than 51 million passengers
The importance of Rome Airport continues to grow. According to RTL 102.5 , in 2025 more than 51 million passengers were handled for the first time. With this, Fiumicino reached a new record high and consolidated its position as Italy's largest airport.
At the same time, this development reflects the continued high demand for travel to Italy. Rome in particular remains one of the most popular travel destinations in Europe for international visitors. At the same time, more and more holidaymakers are using Rome Airport as a starting point for trips to other regions such as Campania, Calabria, Apulia, Sicily, or Tuscany.
Billion-euro investments for the future
The success story is set to continue in the coming years. As Adnkronos further reports, the operator Aeroporti di Roma plans to invest around nine billion euros by the year 2046.
Plans include new terminal capacities, additional gates, modern digital systems, and further measures to improve energy efficiency. At the same time, the airport aims to expand its capacity in the long term to up to 100 million passengers per year. This makes the expansion programme one of the largest infrastructure projects in Italy.
High service quality wins over travellers
In addition to the technical investments, customer satisfaction also plays a decisive role. Millions of passengers rate their stay at the airport every year. The positive feedback feeds directly into international rankings and contributes significantly to the fact that Rome Airport regularly achieves top positions.
According to reports by Italian media, Fiumicino is now regarded as a model for numerous European airports. The combination of innovation, sustainability, and high service quality in particular is regularly emphasised.
Good news for travellers to Italy
The renewed award is a success not only for the airport itself, but also for all travellers. Anyone flying to Italy via Rome Airport can rely on modern terminals, short distances, digital services, and a high level of comfort.
With its eighth award since 2018, Rome Airport impressively underlines its importance for international air travel. At the same time, the development shows that consistent investments in quality, sustainability, and innovation pay off in the long term, and that Italy's most important airport is likely to remain among the best in Europe in the future.
