Forlì Airport

Forlì Airport
Aeroporto di Forlì - "L. Ridolfi"

IATA: FRL – ICAO: LIPK

FRL
Location of the airport in Italy

Summary
Airport type Public
Serves Forlì
Location Forlì, Italy
Elevation AMSL 94 ft / 28.7 m
Coordinates 44°11′44″N 012°04′11″E / 44.19556°N 12.06972°E
Website www.forliairport.com
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
12/30 2,560 8,399 Asphalt
Statistics (2012)
Passengers 261,939
Passenger change 11-12 Decrease -24.4%
Aircraft movements 3,203
Movements change 11-12 Decrease -31.4%
Sources: Airport website[1]
Statistics from Assaeroporti [2]

Forlì Airport (IATA: FRL, ICAO: LIPK), also known as Luigi Ridolfi Airport (Italian: Aeroporto di Forlì - "L. Ridolfi"), is an airport serving Forlì, a city in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy, along with the Bologna and Rimini areas. It is named for Italian aviator Luigi Ridolfi .

Under the old, failed administration, March 29, 2013 saw the last commercially scheduled flight from the airport. The airport was closed due to the lack of Jet-A fuel per Notam B1624/13. SEAF S.p.A., [3] was declared bankrupt and a tender was issued by ENAC, the aviation administration, to operate the airport. The submissions were reviewed by local, regional, and pan-EU government representatives, as well as Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Lupi. Support was put forth unanimously [4] from government for a joint company submission by Aviacom S.p.A. (owned by Sovereign Group, LLC Virginia USA), Robert L Halcombe CEO, Lotras S.r.L. Armando de Girolamo, Administrator, and Siem S.r.L., Calisto Maurilli, Administrator.[5]

The thirty year concession was awarded on September 28, 2014. Robert L Halcombe, Administrator of Aviacom (and CEO of The Sovereign Group, LLC of Reston, Virginia) was appointed Administrator Unico of the airport. The General Manager was appointed, Sandro Gasparrini, who was the former head of ENAV, the air navigation ministry of Italy.

In the joint company proposal, a radical shift in focus was put forth which attracted the support of government, workers parties, and education. Instead of focusing on low cost passenger traffic which is bankrupting other airports, the new focus is to be on 1) international cargo, 2) maintenance of modern airliners, particularly those airlines who are "re-planing" with larger, but more fuel efficient airlines, and c) advanced fuel management which delivers lower cost and greater reliability.

Forli Airport is also the home of three major aviation universities and training facilities, serving ENAV (air navigation and air traffic control school), ENAC (pilot and cabin crew training), and aircraft certification and maintenance advance training.

Facilities

The airport resides at an elevation of 94 feet (28.7 m) above mean sea level. It has one runway designated 12/30 with an asphalt surface measuring 2,560 by 45 metres (8,399 ft × 148 ft).[1] The facility is currently upgrading to navigation Cat III(b), to be completed the Summer of 2014. A major highway is scheduled to be completed in June 2014, providing a direct access from major road A-14.

Airlines and destinations

Forli Airport was formerly used by Wiz Jet. Wind Jet who moved to the nearby Rimini Airport on 27 March 2011, and thereafter quit Rimini Airport. Ryanair used to fly from Forli to a number of European cities such as London-Stansted and Frankfurt-Hahn until it moved to the nearby Bologna Airport.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Runway & Infrastructure. Aeroporto di Forlì - "L. Ridolfi". Accessed 24 January 2010.
  2. ↑ Associazione Italiana Gestori Aeroportuali
  3. ↑ http://www.forliairport.com/main/index.php?id_pag=56
  4. ↑ http://www.romagnanoi.it/news/home/1203643/Lupi-rassicura-sul-Ridolfi--.html
  5. ↑ http://www.ilrestodelcarlino.it/forli/cronaca/2014/05/06/1061755-aeroporto-ridolfi-cordata-americani.shtml

External links