Trapani-Birgi Airport (IATA: TPS, ICAO: LICT) is an Italian military airport, open to civil traffic. The civil airport is named after Vincenzo Florio, the military to the lieutenant pilot, M. O. V. M. , Livio Bassi. There is also a Forward Operating Base (NATO Forward Operating Base) in the military zone.
The civil airport, located in a fraction of area separated from the military base, began operations in the sixties, when the new military airport were also transferred civil flights, op... Trapani-Birgi Airport (IATA: TPS, ICAO: LICT) is an Italian military airport, open to civil traffic. The civil airport is named after Vincenzo Florio, the military to the lieutenant pilot, M. O. V. M. , Livio Bassi. There is also a Forward Operating Base (NATO Forward Operating Base) in the military zone.
The civil airport, located in a fraction of area separated from the military base, began operations in the sixties, when the new military airport were also transferred civil flights, operated by Alitalia, to Palermo, Pantelleria and Tunis, previously operated from Trapani-Chinisia airport. In 1964 connections with Naples and Rome-Fiumicino began, while in June of the same year ATI inaugurated its flights to Pantelleria and Palermo. Then the flight to Milan Linate was added. On 4 May 2011, the Board of Directors of ENAC approved the decision to grant the total thirty-year management of Trapani Airport in favor of the management company Airgest S. p. A.
The airport is classified as "military open to civil air traffic", so the flight assistance services (radio assistance, air traffic, meteorology) are provided by the personnel of the 37th Wing of the Italian Air Force to civil aircraft. The airline Albastar creates its own hub at the Vincenzo Florio with flights to Naples, Ancona, Brindisi, Parma, Trieste and Perugia.
The Danish airline Dat confirms its flights to the island of Pantelleria while Corendon Airlines to Amsterdam. Ryanair confirms its new leadership at the airport with 22 routes, touching Italian cities such as Bologna, Pisa, Venice, Milan and Rome and international as Brussels, Frankfurt, Malta, London, Seville and Manchester. In 2023 the volume of passenger traffic was almost 1,300,000 people. The military airport, located on the provincial road, is named after the lieutenant pilot Livio Bassi, gold medal for military valor. It is home to the 37th Air Force Wing since 1984. Inside the military airport is operational base NAEW & CF FOB (NATO Airborne Early Warning & Control Force - Advanced Base of Operations). Founded in 1986, it is home to the Boeing E-3 Sentry Aircraft Surveillance and Control System.
