Civil use of Grazzanise Airport: towards talks with the Region and government departments
It was originally a military airfield and can now also be used for civilian purposes: ENAC has called for institutional discussions to begin
The spotlight is back on Grazzanise Airport, in the province of Caserta. Originally a military airfield, in early 2025 the Ministry of Defence authorised its use for civilian purposes as well, under a so-called ‘dual-use’ regime and in accordance with military requirements, opening up new prospects for the infrastructure’s development.
A proposal (the use of the airfield for civil and commercial purposes) that has resurfaced from time to time over many years and has become a more tangible prospect over the past year. Particularly since, in recent days, ENAC wrote to the Ministers for Transport and Defence requesting the convening of a round-table meeting to initiate discussions. It is hoped that the demarcation of the two zones – the military and the civilian areas – can also begin as soon as possible. This dialogue was also called for by Lega MP Gianpiero Zinzi during a recent Question Time. ‘Relieving congestion at Capodichino and the approaching America’s Cup,’ says Zinzi, ‘are priority issues to which Grazzanise can provide solutions.’
The President of the Campania Region, Roberto Fico, has weighed in once again on this issue, which has suddenly become a hot topic, clarifying to *Il Sole 24 Ore*: ‘We need to base our reasoning on reliable data and figures. Every public investment must be accompanied and underpinned by prospects based on feasibility studies and analyses. We are therefore fully open to discussing the Grazzanise airport, but on the basis of data that takes into account the needs, context and dynamics of the various sectors involved.”
The use of Grazzanise Airport for civil and commercial purposes is, in fact, a matter of great importance to aerospace entrepreneurs in Campania, who have been pressing for its implementation through the District (DAC). It is also a priority for Confindustria Caserta, which recently commissioned a pre-feasibility study on the matter; this, it seems, has helped to get things moving. “We have provided a useful tool,” says Luigi Della Gatta, president of Confindustria Caserta. “Now it is up to the politicians to do the rest.”
The study, carried out by the international firm Steer, suggests that international air traffic to and from Campania could grow over the next 30 years from 13 million passengers in 2025 to an estimated 23.8 million in 2056. Consequently, there would be scope for a third airport open to civil and commercial traffic: Grazzanise could serve as a ‘satellite’ airport to relieve pressure on Naples.
