Roma, Leonardo da Vinci (FCO/LIRF) Italy

IATA: FCO – ICAO: LIRF
Summary
Airport type		Public, Leonardo da Vinci International Airport, also known as Fiumicino International Airport, is Italy's largest airport, with over 30 million passengers in the year 2006. It was opened in stages between 1956 and 1961 and it has since undergone several expansion works.The airport is named after Italian polymath Leonardo da Vinci, who first designed a proto helicopter and a flying machine with wings.
Operator		Aeroporti di Roma SpA. It was the world's 25th busiest airport by passenger traffic in 2008
Serves		Rome
Location		Fiumicino
Hub for		Air Alps Alitalia Blu-express
Hub		It is one of two hubs of the Italian flag carrier Alitalia along with Milan-Malpensa International Airport.
Coordinates
Website		www.adr.it
Runways
Direction	Length		Surface
	m	ft
07/25	3,309	10,856	Asphalt
16R/34L	3,900	12,795	Asphalt
16L/34R	3,900	12,795	Asphalt
16C/34C	3,600	11,811	Asphalt

   

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DSp Pictures
Year	Minolta		Spot Location
	Film	Scan
1995 > 1998		20	On apron & inside the terminal

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Web information :

History

The airport was officially opened on January 15, 1961 with two runways, replacing the small Rome Ciampino Airport which remains in service for domestic and charter operations. During the decade Alitalia invested heavily in the new airport, building hangars and maintenance centers; in the same period a third runway was added (16L/34R).

Four runways presently operate at Leonardo da Vinci airport: 16L/34R and 16R/34L (separated by a distance of 4,000 metres), 16C/34C (close to 16L/34R), mostly used as a taxiway or as a backup of 16L/34R, and 07/25, used only westwards for takeoffs due to dominant winds.

Since 2005 the airport operates a category III B instrument landing system (ILS). Further improvement work was implemented in 2007 to enable the airport to handle 30 takeoffs/landings, up from 10, in the event of thick fog.

The terminal areas were upgraded during the 1990s:

• 1991: Opening of the domestic pier with 12 loading bridges (Pier A);
• 1995: Opening of the international pier with 10 loading bridges (Pier B);
• 1999: Opening of the west satellite with 11 loading bridges (satellite C) and sky-bridge train connecting it with the main terminal;
• 2000: Opening of the new domestic terminal (terminal A). Reorganization of terminal buildings, now comprising of: terminal A (and pier A), terminal AA, terminal B (and pier B), terminal C (and west satellite);
• 2004: Opening of new cargo terminal called Cargo City;
• 2008: Opening of terminal 5 for check-in of American carrier flights (passengers are then bussed to the Main terminal building); serves 950,000 passengers per year. Extended work to build new pier C.

Incidents and accidents

From the 1960s until the 1980s, the airport experienced significant aircraft hijackings as well as became the scene of two major terrorist attacks and the port of origin for an aircraft bombing in flight—all engendered by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

• On 17 December 1973 Pan American World Airways (Pan Am) Flight 110 was attacked by Palestinian terrorists. 30 passengers were killed when phosphorus bombs were thrown aboard the aircraft as it was preparing for departure.

• On 29 January 1974 Meld Meir, Mossad director was nearly assassinated by the Black September Organisation but was foiled at the last minute when the Mossad agents foiled the attempt.

• On 27 December 1985 during the Rome and Vienna airport attacks terrorists shot and killed 16 people and wounded 99 other at the airport.

• On 2 April 1986, Trans World Airlines (TWA) Flight 840, which was travelling from Fiumicino to Ellinikon International Airport in Athens, Greece, was bombed, ejecting 4 people out of the plane to their deaths. The plane landed safely.

• On 17 October 1988, Uganda Airlines flight 775, en route from London Gatwick Airport to Rome then Entebbe International Airport, crashed short of the runway after two missed approaches. 26 of 45 aboard and all 7 crew members died.

• 7 September 2005 - Ryanair is under investigation by ANSV, the Italian air accident investigation agency, for an attempted bad weather approach. During an unstabilised approach, the non-flying co-pilot had to intervene to initiate a late go-around, then the crew decided to divert to Pescara.