The charge of the big players for Catania airport

The appointment is one of great occasions. The Minister of Enterprise and Made in Italy Adolfo Urso arrives at Catania airport; there is the mayor Enrico Trantino, the commissioner of the Chamber of Commerce of South-East Sicily Antonio Belcuore and the management of Sac, with its president Anna Quattrone and managing director Nico Torrisi. The scene is institutional, but says two concrete things: the privatisation of the company that manages Fontanarossa and Comiso has entered the crucial phase and the government 'blesses' the operation, hoping that the reorganisation will also involve the western front, with Palermo and Trapani.

The news, of course, is above all the charge of the big national and international players. At least 51% of Sac will go on the market. The share capital is 31.334 million, divided into 31,334 shares: the minimum stake corresponds to at least 15,981 shares, although the actual package will be defined by a subsequent shareholders' meeting prior to the binding offers. According to valuations circulated in recent months, the entire company could be worth between EUR 500 million and EUR 600 million: 51%, in theoretical terms, would be between EUR 255 million and EUR 306 million.

The moving names explain the weight of the dossier. Mundys, formerly Atlantia, has publicly declared its interest in Catania and remains among the most observed subjects. On the Italia front there is F2i through 2i Aeroporti, strengthened by the recent transaction with Cdp Equity: according to what has emerged in recent days, Catania is among the dossiers being closely watched. Then there is the international front with the charge of the big operators: infrastructure funds, sovereign capital, pure airport operators. Adq, the sovereign fund of Abu Dhabi, interested in an airport asset with a strong Mediterranean projection, has been looking at the dossier. Again according to market reconstructions, among the groups that could evaluate the match are Aena, a large Spanish airport manager, Ferrovial, Vinci Airports, Groupe Adp-Aéroports de Paris, Corporación América, already present in Italia through the Florence-Pisa system, Save-Ardian-Finint, as well as more lateral names such as Fraport and Royal Schiphol Group.

The procedure is clear: expressions of interest by 3 June 2026, verification of requirements, access to documentation for those admitted, preliminary offer with business plan and then binding offers. A maximum of five bidders can reach the final stage, with a minimum score of 80 out of 100.

For Quattrone and Torrisi, privatisation is not a simple sale of shares. "It is not just a technical step, but a strategic opportunity to consolidate Sac's growth path, strengthen the quality of its services and attract skills and investments capable of accompanying airport development". The goal is "to build an even more competitive, modern and integrated airport system, capable of generating value for the territory, supporting the local economy and meeting the needs of citizens, businesses and travellers".