Sicily

SAC: ten consortia in the running for Catania and Comiso airports

1 August 2026

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3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Ten consortia have been shortlisted for the second phase of the privatisation process for SAC, the company that operates Catania and Comiso airports. The deal involves the sale of a majority stake amounting to at least 51 per cent of the share capital. Fourteen expressions of interest were received by the deadline, but four bidders were excluded because they did not meet the requirements set out in the notice.

The list of eligible operators includes some of the leading international airport operators and investors: Corporacion America Airports, the majority shareholder in Toscana Aeroporti, which operates Florence and Pisa airports; Royal Schiphol Group; Mundys; Adani Airport Holdings; Save; 2i Aeroporti; Mag Overseas Investment; Oman Airports Management Company; Macquarie European Infrastructure Fund and Vinci Airports.

“Among the ten shortlisted bidders are some of the largest Italian and international airport operators, which confirms the enormous interest in our assets,” said SAC’s chief executive, Nico Torrisi, following the board meeting which also approved the business plan for the revitalisation of the two airports. He clarified that the interest relates to the system as a whole and therefore to both Catania and Comiso.

With the launch of the second phase, scheduled for the coming days, the data room will be made available. Selected bidders will be able to examine the business plan and put forward proposals for improvements, accompanied by a non-binding financial offer. The evaluation will therefore not be based solely on price, but on a combination of the business plan and the financial aspects.

“The mandate we have been given is to find the best buyer – not necessarily the one who pays the most, but the one who will be best placed to develop our airport system,” explained Torrisi. The stated aim is to identify a partner capable of supporting investment, strengthening the competitiveness of the two airports and supporting their long-term growth.

The second phase is expected to be completed in the autumn. At that point, the third phase will begin, with five bidders being shortlisted. These bidders will submit binding offers, which will then be put before SAC’s public shareholders for consideration. It will ultimately be up to the shareholders to decide whether or not to proceed with the sale of their respective shares.

The issue of governance also remains on the table following the arrival of the new majority shareholder. According to Torrisi, the rules unanimously approved by the board of directors will ensure that the minority public shareholders remain and will safeguard the role of local shareholders. The South-East Sicily Chamber of Commerce has given assurances that it will continue to monitor compliance with procedures and the economic and employment implications of the transaction. The process has been designed as a competitive, open and transparent procedure, guided by the public interest.

The chair of SAC, Anna Quattrone, and Torrisi himself described the conclusion of the first phase as ‘a significant step’ and identified the selection of the partner with the most robust business plan as a priority. For the Metropolitan Mayor of Catania, Enrico Trantino, the level of interest shown demonstrates “the strength and appeal” of the airport system, whilst the Special Commissioner of the South-East Sicily Chamber of Commerce, Antonio Belcuore, emphasised that the aim is not merely to sell a stake in the company, but to establish a growth strategy capable of reinforcing Sicily’s central role in national and international transport links.

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