Reggio di Calabria Airport Aeroporto di Reggio di Calabria
IATA: REG ICAO: LICR
Summary
Airport type	Public & Military
Operator	Sacal S.p.A.
Serves	Reggio di Calabria, Messina
Location	Reggio di Calabria
Built	1939
Occupants	V Reparto di Volo della Polizia di Stato
Elevation AMSL	29.26 m / 95.99 ft
Coordinates	38°04′19″N 15°39′13″E / 38.07194°N 15.65361°E / 38.07194; 15.65361
Website	sacal.it/en/reggio-calabria-airport/
Map
REG Show map of Calabria REG Show map of Italy
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 15/33 2,000 6,549 Asphalt 11/29 1,700 5,574 Asphalt
Statistics (2022)
Passengers 202,386 Passenger change 21-22 37.1% Aircraft movements 4,150 Movements change 21-22 21.5%
Source: Italian AIP at EUROCONTROL[1] Statistics from Assaeroporti[2]

Reggio di Calabria "Tito Minniti" Airport (IATA: REG, ICAO: LICR),^[3] also known as Aeroporto dello Stretto (Airport of the Strait) is an airport located in Reggio Calabria, in southern Italy. It serves mainly the Metropolitan City of Reggio and the Province of Messina, and partially the Province of Vibo Valentia; more than 1,350,000 people. Daily flights depart and arrive for and from several Italian cities, and are seasonally augmented by flights to various other countries.^[4]

History

Reggio military airport was inaugurated in 1939 (the first airport in Calabria), becoming operative for commercial flights in 1947; later it was named after Italian Royal Air Force war-hero Tito Minniti, who was born in Reggio Calabria. Its IATA airport code REG is derived from Reggio, Calabria's main city, which the airport is closest to. On the outskirts of the airport the training grounds of local football club Reggina Calcio are located.

In March 2017, Alitalia announced it would terminate all 56 weekly flights to and from the airport (to Milan, Rome and Turin) stating all routes were heavily loss-making.^[5] However, this decision was revoked shortly after.

In summer 2017, Sacal S.p.A. (Società aeroportuale calabrese), also managing Lamezia Terme, took over the management of the airport.

Airlines and destinations

The following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter flights at Reggio Calabria Airport:

Statistics

Ground transport

The Reggio Calabria Airport is approximately 5 kilometres south from Reggio's historic city centre. It is accessible by car or public transport. The airport is reachable in 7 minutes by regional trains from Reggio Calabria Centrale or Melito di Porto Salvo. Even the airport railway station has faced criticism by the local community, due to its 2 km distance from the terminal and the low number of passengers which use it. Otherwise, the airport is reachable by bus routes 27 and 27/ from the University and San Brunello and by the Port-Airport direct route, all of which are operated by ATAM and with nearby towns and ports by various provincial bus operators.

There was also a projected pier to allow the docking of the ferries from Messina, allowing the residents of the Sicilian city to use the Reggio Calabria Airport instead of driving 100 km south to Catania Airport. This pier was built, but the prevailing winds did not allow the ferries to dock. This issue, together with low passenger numbers have caused the pier to be abandoned and used by fishermen, becoming a symbol of waste of public money.