Transport

Battisti (Gesap): 'With the private sector, Palermo airport will be an accelerator of economic development'

Gesap's CEO Gianfranco Battisti explains the start of the privatisation of the airport: "In the Plan 250 million invested to 2030. By the end of October the choice of the advisor".

13 August 2025

3' min read

Public-private partnerships, green and digital investments, a new centrality for the airport in the Mediterranean. The start of the privatisation of Gesap, which manages Palermo's Falcone-Borsellino airport, with the decision of the shareholders' meeting a few days ago, is only the starting point of a path concerning the airport. The appointment of the advisor is expected by the end of October or early November at the latest, and this is already an important fact: the management company closed its 2024 financial statements with a net profit for the year of 13,650,456 (+11.56%), ebitda of over 31 million compared to almost 29 million last year, and a value of production of 79,788,272 (+6.43% compared to 2023).

Gesap's shareholders' meeting (the main ones are the Municipality and Metropolitan City of Palermo with 72.8% of the shares and the Palermo-Enna Chamber of Commerce with 22.8% of the shares) gave full mandate to the new CEO Gianfranco Battisti, an expert in the transport sector and former CEO and general manager of Ferrovie dello Stato from 2018 to 2021, who explains here what the underlying philosophy and concrete steps are for the development of the Sicilian capital's airport in the coming years.

Gesap is preparing for a historic step with the entry of private capital. How does the airport's development perspective change?

The opening of capital, if guided by a sound governance model, can transform an infrastructure into an accelerator of economic development. Our goal is to attract global industrial partners, capable of bringing expertise, technology and capital in the medium to long term. We want to place the 'Falcone Borsellino' among the great hubs of the Mediterranean, with a strategy that combines protection of the public interest and the ability to compete in the international scenario. The public will maintain an active role thanks to instruments such as golden power, to guarantee employment, social routes and service standards.

In a rapidly changing global context, what should an airport of the future look like?

Global trends point to three clear directions: sustainability, digitisation and passenger centricity. Airports will have to be low environmental impact infrastructures, energy autonomous and integrated with urban and regional mobility networks. The digital component will be decisive, from the Digital Twin for predictive management of operations, to biometric systems to reduce boarding times, to smart metering platforms to optimise consumption and performance. Finally, the passenger will have to live an immersive experience, with personalised services and a strong reference to the cultural identity of the territory.

What are the investment priorities for Palermo in the coming years?

Our plan to 2030 envisages more than EUR 250 million of investment, with five main axes: modular expansion of the terminal, energy autonomy through photovoltaics and storage, preparation for sustainable fuels such as hydrogen and Saf (the sustainable aviation fuel, obtained from renewable and non-fossil sources ed), enhancement of the commercial offer, and creation of a tourist-experiential district within the airport. Added to this are interventions to improve punctuality and drastically reduce waiting times at controls and baggage claim.

Sicily has several airports: how does Palermo fit into an integrated regional system?

With the 'Airports of Sicily' project we want to promote a vision of complementarity. Palermo will be increasingly oriented towards internationalisation and business traffic, while, for example, Trapani will be able to specialise in seasonal flows and niche markets. This approach makes it possible to optimise resources, increase the island's connectivity and maximise the overall economic impact.

What impact will this development have on the territory?

We expect concrete benefits on employment, induced activities and attractiveness. We are talking about hundreds of new direct jobs and a supply chain of local SMEs involved in construction, maintenance, digitalisation, catering, logistics and environmental services. The expansion of routes and the increase in high added-value tourist flows will help to deseasonalise tourism, while partnerships with universities and Its will develop the skills needed to manage a modern and sustainable infrastructure.

In summary, how do you see the 'Falcone Borsellino' in 2030?

I see it as a connected, sustainable, digitally advanced and fully integrated airport. An infrastructure capable of attracting passengers, investors and talent, positioning Palermo as a strategic gateway to the Mediterranean. A model of public-private partnership that will become a success story for the entire Mezzogiorno.

Nino Amadore
Scheda autore
Trust project

Brand connect

I prossimi eventi

Tutti gli eventi

Notizie e approfondimenti sugli avvenimenti politici, economici e finanziari.

Economy

Battisti (Gesap): 'With the private sector, Palermo airport will be an accelerator of economic development'

Gesap's CEO Gianfranco Battisti explains the start of the privatisation of the airport: "In the Plan 250 million invested to 2030. By the end of October the choice of the advisor".

Brand connect

I prossimi eventi

Newsletter