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Torino-Caselle Airport

Turin's civil airport, opened at Caselle Torinese in 1953 and operated by SAGAT: in 2025 it topped five million passengers for the first time.

Il terminal di Caselle con un aereo al finger
The Caselle terminal with an aircraft at the jet bridge — From the publication of La Stampa, 2026-09-17

Torino-Caselle Airport is the civil airport of Torino and Piemonte: it stands in the territory of Caselle Torinese, north of the capital, in the metropolitan city. It is run by SAGAT – Società Azionaria Gestione Aeroporto Torino, headquartered at strada San Maurizio 12 –, wholly owned by 2i Aeroporti; the board is chaired by Roberta Neri, and the chief executive is Andrea Andorno[1]. Opened in 1953 as the «Città di Torino» airport and today named after Sandro Pertini, in 2025 it topped five million passengers for the first time[2][3].

Before Caselle: Mirafiori and Aeritalia

Turin has an aviation history longer than its airport. On 27 June 1908 Léon Delagrange gave the city's first powered-flight demonstration at piazza d'Armi, and on 8 July Thérèse Peltier became the first woman in the world to fly in a powered aeroplane; in 1911, for the fiftieth anniversary of Unification, Turin's first airport was inaugurated at Mirafiori, named in 1921 after the pilot Gino Lisa[2]. The Aeritalia airfield came into operation on 10 July 1916 with the takeoff of a military prototype; on 23 May 1917 Italy's first airmail flight left from there for Rome-Centocelle, carrying «200 kilos of mail and a hundred copies of a Turin daily paper»[4].

On 1 April 1926 two SISA seaplanes took off from Turin — the airline of the Cosulich shipowners of Trieste — on Italy's first scheduled air route, between Turin and Trieste with stops at Pavia and Venice[5]. After the war it was Aeritalia, the FIAT airfield where its aircraft factories stood, that served as the city's airport: from there, on 5 May 1947, Alitalia's first flight departed, Turin-Rome-Catania, with eighteen passengers, and the same years saw the Superga tragedy of 4 May 1949[2][5].

The «Città di Torino» airport

The new Caselle airport was inaugurated in 1953, taking the place of Aeritalia, which until then had been Turin's main airfield[2][5]. The Mole24 guide tells it this way:

«As early as 1953 the new "Città di Torino" airport was inaugurated, later known as Caselle, after the name of the municipality that hosts it.»

Mole24, airport guide, 2025

The runway, among the longest in Italy, immediately made it a reference point for traffic in the North-West. In 1985 Caselle was among the first Italian airports fitted with ILS, the instrument landing system that allows operations in poor visibility[2].

The two big building projects: Italia '90 and the Olympics

The first expansion was tied to the 1990 football World Cup, even though the works only finished in 1994: the old control tower was demolished and six boarding jetways and a multi-storey car park were built[2]. In those years the airport was already online at airport.torino.it, run by SAGAT: in December 2000 the site offered flight information, radar, tourist and road news, and the last archived version with content, from October 2003, showed an update dated 20 September of that year[6][7]. The second expansion began in 2005 ahead of the 2006 Winter Olympics and enlarged the terminal, finished on schedule[2]. In 2007 and 2008 the airport won the ACI Europe award for best European airport under five million passengers, and in 2019 it opened a new 4,455-square-metre arrivals area[2]. The award returned in 2022, at its eighteenth edition, for the recovery after the pandemic; the President of the Region, Alberto Cirio, called it «an important recognition»[8].

Crisis and recovery

2020 was the hardest year: passengers fell to 1.4 million, down 64.4% on the year before, and almost 98% of flights were cancelled; from 25 January 2021 the airport closed at night, except for emergency and military flights[9]. «After a dramatic 2020», Andorno explained at the time, «2021 too looks set to be a very challenging year for the whole air transport sector»[9]. The recovery came through low-cost carriers: on 2 November 2021 Ryanair opened a base at Caselle with two aircraft, 123 weekly flights and 35 new routes; in 2023 the airport installed the largest photovoltaic plant of any Italian airport, 3,651 panels[2].

On 16 September 2023 a Frecce Tricolori aircraft crashed at Caselle: a minor died in the accident, the air show marking the centenary of the Italian Air Force was cancelled and the airport remained closed until midnight the following day, with flights diverted to other airports[10].

The train to the airport

Caselle is served by the Turin-Ceres railway. On 19 January 2024 minister Matteo Salvini and Mayor Stefano Lo Russo inaugurated the new connection with the rail link-line, which cost more than 230 million euros: from 20 January, trains of the metropolitan rail service have connected Porta Susa and the airport in 31 minutes, with a service every half hour, and there are also direct connections from Alba, Bra and Fossano[11]. The railway links the city with Caselle and the Valli di Lanzo, and since 13 September 2026 it has again run as far as Ceres[12].

The airport today

In 2025 Caselle recorded 5,006,169 passengers, up 6.7% on 2024 and 26.7% on 2019: the first year above five million. The SAGAT group closed the year with 63.5 million euros in production value and 6.8 million euros in net profit[3]. In March 2026 the airport topped 500,000 passengers in a single month for the first time (518,999), and the 2025-26 ski season, driven above all by passengers from the United Kingdom and Ireland, brought in 404,512[13]. In July 2026 the departure lounge was redesigned over two levels, with an Eataly outlet of about 530 square metres[14]. On 24 April 2026 Enac approved the Master Plan to 2032, which envisages 114 million euros of investment, between terminal expansion, flight infrastructure and car parks[15].

In 2025 Wizz Air had operated more than 2,100 flights from Turin with more than 450,000 passengers; on 14 September 2026 the airline, second in Italy by market share, opened its seventh Italian base there, with a first Airbus A321neo and a second from 25 October[16][17][18]. The network rises to 23 routes to ten countries and 1.3 million seats in 2026, with ten new destinations – Barcelona, Bilbao, Lamezia Terme, Madrid, Malaga, Naples, Rome Fiumicino, Sharm el Sheikh (from 27 October), Suceava and Valencia – and, from January 2027, winter Saturday flights to Wrocław, Gdańsk, Katowice and Prague; Rome Fiumicino and Barcelona each rise to eleven weekly flights. According to the airline the base is worth 80 direct jobs and about 700 indirect ones[17][18][19]. «This is a concrete growth and development opportunity for our airport», commented Mayor Lo Russo[16].

The possibility of integration with Milan

Piedmont's public bodies left SAGAT's ownership by stages: the City of Turin sold its 28% in 2012 and the last 10% in 2018, and since 2023 2i Aeroporti has owned 100%[20]. 2i Aeroporti itself, controlled by F2i and Asterion, is with about 45% the second-largest shareholder of SEA, which runs Linate and Malpensa and of which the City of Milan holds 54.8%; according to reports the City would keep a majority, around 51%, even in the new company[21]. This shared ownership is the basis for a study of a single North-West airport system, with Malpensa as the intercontinental hub, Linate as the city airport and Caselle a regional airport strengthened by low-cost carriers[20][21]. On 17 September 2026 SEA's chief executive Armando Brunini announced that the study would be delivered to the shareholders by October, a few weeks later than suggested in August; Andorno said he was in favour of the consolidation, which he judged positive for all the parties involved, though without having further details on the matter; according to Brunini the integration would not call into question Caselle's Master Plan[21].

Wizz Air's new base (September 2026)

In September 2026 Wizz Air opens its seventh base in Italy at Caselle, with a first Airbus A321neo permanently stationed at the airport and a second aircraft arriving on 25 October; the investment brings the airline's network to 23 routes to ten countries, including the new destinations of Barcelona, Bilbao, Lamezia Terme, Madrid, Malaga, Naples, Rome Fiumicino, Sharm el Sheikh, Suceava and Valencia, with additional winter routes from January 2027 to Wrocław, Gdańsk, Katowice and Prague; according to the airline, the two based aircraft generate 80 direct jobs and about 700 indirect ones.1

The dossier on the merger with Sea-Malpensa (September 2026)

The chief executive of Sea, the company that runs Malpensa and Linate, announces that the dossier on the integration between Sea and Sagat, Torino-Caselle's operator, will be ready by October 2026 and delivered to the shareholders: the plan would aim at a single North-West airport system in which Caselle would strengthen its role as a regional airport, without calling into question the Master Plan to 2032 approved by Enac, which envisages 114 million euros of investment.1

The new Wizz Air routes (September 2026)

In mid-September 2026 Wizz Air opened a base at Torino Caselle with the first Airbus A321neo permanently stationed at the airport; a second aircraft is expected on 25 October, making Turin the airline's seventh base in Italy.

The investment brings Wizz Air's network at Caselle to 23 routes to ten countries, for about 1.3 million seats on sale in 2026.

The merger dossier with Malpensa (September 2026)

The plan aims to integrate Sea and Sagat, Caselle's operator, into a single North-West airport system, with Malpensa as the intercontinental gateway, Linate as the city airport and Caselle as a regional airport geared to low-cost carriers.

The hinge of the operation is 2i Aeroporti (controlled by F2i and Asterion), which owns 100% of Sagat and is at the same time Sea's second-largest shareholder with about 45%; the City of Milan controls 54.8% of Sea and, according to the reports, would keep a majority stake of around 51% in the new entity.

The dossier on the merger with Malpensa airport (September 2026)

On 17 September 2026 the chief executive of Sea, the company that runs the Milan airports of Linate and Malpensa, Armando Brunini, announces that the dossier on the integration between Sea and Sagat, the operator of Torino Caselle airport, will be ready and presented to the shareholders by October. The plan aims to create a single North-West airport system, with Malpensa as the intercontinental gateway, Linate as the city airport and Caselle strengthening its role as a regional airport, including through low-cost carriers. Sagat's chief executive, Andrea Andorno, calls the possible consolidation «positive for all the parties involved». The operation would not affect Caselle's Master Plan to 2032, already approved by Enac, which envisages 114 million euros of investment in the airport.

The new Wizz Air base and the 2026 routes

On 14 September 2026 Wizz Air officially opens a base at Torino Caselle, bringing into permanent service the airport's first Airbus A321neo; a second aircraft arrives on 25 October, making Turin the airline's seventh base in Italy.1 The investment brings Wizz Air's network from Caselle to 23 routes to ten countries, with about 1.3 million seats on sale in 2026: among the ten new destinations are Barcelona, Bilbao, Lamezia Terme, Madrid, Malaga, Naples, Rome Fiumicino, Sharm el Sheikh, Suceava and Valencia, to which will be added, from January 2027, Saturday winter connections to Wrocław, Gdańsk, Katowice and Prague.1 According to Wizz Air the two aircraft based in Turin will bring 80 new direct jobs and about 700 indirect ones; Torino Airport's chief executive Andrea Andorno highlights the strengthening of the link with Rome, which rises to eleven weekly flights.1

The merger project with Malpensa and the 2032 Master Plan

On 17 September 2026 Sea's chief executive, Armando Brunini, announces that the dossier on the integration between the Milan airports (Linate and Malpensa) and Torino-Caselle will be delivered to the shareholders by October 2026, a few weeks later than the first ideas circulated in August. Andrea Andorno, Sagat's chief executive, says he is in favour of a consolidation operation. Any integration would not call into question Caselle's Master Plan to 2032, already definitively approved by Enac, which envisages 114 million euros of investment to increase the airport's capacity, flexibility and efficiency.

Wizz Air opens a base at Caselle with 23 routes to ten countries (September 2026)

The plan envisages two based aircraft, with 80 direct jobs and about 700 indirect ones according to the airline; the opening of the base is part of a broader 114-million-euro investment plan approved by Enac for the airport.

The dossier on the merger with Malpensa by October 2026

The plan aims to integrate Sea with Sagat, the company that runs Caselle, creating a single North-West airport system: the hinge of the operation is 2i Aeroporti, controlled by F2i and Asterion, which owns 100% of Sagat and is at the same time Sea's second-largest shareholder with about 45%, while the City of Milan controls 54.8% of Sea and would keep a majority stake of around 51% in the new entity. In the business plan, Malpensa would keep its role as the intercontinental gateway, Linate that of a city airport for European and business traffic, while Caselle would strengthen its role as a regional airport, including through low-cost carriers.

The arrest of a fugitive arriving from Vilnius (27 September 2026)

On 27 September 2026 the State Police arrest, on his arrival at Torino-Caselle airport on a flight from Vilnius, an Italian citizen convicted in 2021 by the Turin Court of Appeal for aiding and abetting prostitution and who had gone into hiding to escape his sentence. The man had been traced to Latvia by the Italian consular authorities.

The integration project with the Milan airports (September 2026)

In September 2026 Sea, the company that runs Malpensa and Linate, launches a feasibility study on integrating its own airport system with that of Torino Caselle, run by Sagat. The corporate link between the two groups runs through 2i Aeroporti (controlled by F2i and Asterion), which owns 100% of Sagat and is at the same time Sea's second-largest shareholder with about 45%; the City of Milan, on the other hand, controls 54.8% of Sea. In the plan, Malpensa would keep its role as the intercontinental airport, Linate that of the city airport and Caselle would strengthen its role as a regional airport, including through low-cost carriers; Sagat's chief executive, Andrea Andorno, has said he favours a consolidation.

The airport.torino.it domain in the web archive (2000-2003)

The first snapshot of the airport.torino.it domain in the web archive, from 11 December 2000, shows Sagat's site with sections on real-time flights, airport information and tourist information for Turin Airport. In October 2003 the entry page «Turin Airport - Welcome Page - Torino Aeroporto» was shown as updated as of 20 September of that year.

Arrest of a fugitive convicted for aiding and abetting prostitution (September 2026)

On 27 September 2026 an Italian citizen, convicted in 2021 by the Turin Court of Appeal for aiding and abetting prostitution and who had gone into hiding to escape his sentence, is traced to Latvia by the consular authorities and arrested by the State Police at Torino-Caselle airport on his arrival on a flight from Vilnius.

Possible merger with Milan's Sea airport system (September 2026)

In September 2026 an integration between Sagat, the operator of Torino-Caselle airport, and Sea, the company that runs the Milan airports of Linate and Malpensa, is under study, aiming to create a single North-West airport system.

The dossier on the merger with the Milan airports (September 2026)

Andrea Andorno, Sagat's chief executive, says he is open to the consolidation operation.

Wizz Air opens a base at Torino-Caselle with 23 new routes (September 2026)

The link with Rome rises to eleven weekly flights, while the Sharm el Sheikh route starts on 27 October.

The dossier on the merger between Caselle and Malpensa expected by October 2026

In the new arrangement, Malpensa would keep its role as the intercontinental gateway, Linate that of the city airport, while Caselle would strengthen its role as a regional airport, including through the development of low-cost carriers; any integration would not call into question the Master Plan to 2032 approved by Enac, which envisages 114 million euros of investment for the Turin airport.

New Wizz Air base and possible merger with Malpensa (September 2026)

According to Wizz Air the two based aircraft will bring 80 direct jobs and about 700 indirect ones; Torino Airport's chief executive, Andrea Andorno, links the operation to the 114-million-euro investment plan approved by Enac for the airport.

In the industrial scenario, Malpensa would remain the intercontinental gateway, Linate the city airport for business traffic and Caselle would strengthen its role as a regional, low-cost-oriented airport. Sagat's chief executive, Andrea Andorno, has said he is open to the operation, while stating he has no further details on the dossier yet.

Wizz Air opens a base in Turin and the dossier on the merger with Malpensa (September 2026)

On 14 September 2026 Wizz Air officially opened a base at Torino Caselle, bringing to the airport its first permanently stationed Airbus A321neo, with a second aircraft arriving on 25 October: for the airline, second in Italy by market share, Turin thus becomes its seventh base in the country.

A few days later, Sea's chief executive (which runs Linate and Malpensa), Armando Brunini, announced that the dossier on the integration between the Milan and Torino Caselle airports will be presented to the shareholders by October 2026. The plan aims to integrate Sea and Sagat, Caselle's operator, into a single North-West airport system, with 2i Aeroporti (controlled by F2i and Asterion) as the reference shareholder of both companies; the City of Milan would keep a majority stake of about 51% in the new entity, while Turin has not been among Sagat's shareholders for years.

The arrival of the Wizz Air base and the merger dossier with Malpensa (September 2026)

In September 2026 Wizz Air opened a base at Caselle, basing two Airbus A321neo aircraft, expanding its network to 23 routes to ten countries including Barcelona, Madrid, Rome Fiumicino and Naples, with additional winter connections from January 2027 to Wrocław, Gdańsk, Katowice and Prague; Torino Airport's chief executive Andrea Andorno put the operation's employment impact at 80 direct jobs and about 700 indirect ones.

In the same month Sea's chief executive Armando Brunini announced that the dossier on the merger between Caselle airport, run by Sagat, and the Milan airports of Malpensa and Linate will be presented to the shareholders by October; the plan, built around the holding company 2i Aeroporti, which controls 100% of Sagat and about 45% of Sea, would aim at a North-West airport system in which Caselle would strengthen its role as a regional, low-cost airport.

Wizz Air opens a base at Caselle and the dossier on the merger with Sea

On 14 September 2026 Wizz Air officially opens its first base at Torino Caselle, the airline's seventh in Italy, with an Airbus A321neo permanently stationed there (a second aircraft is expected on 25 October); the investment brings the airport's network to 23 routes to ten countries — among the new destinations Barcelona, Bilbao, Lamezia Terme, Madrid, Malaga, Naples, Rome Fiumicino, Sharm el Sheikh, Suceava and Valencia, with Saturday winter connections to Wrocław, Gdańsk, Katowice and Prague from January 2027 — for about 80 new direct jobs and 700 indirect ones, as part of a 114-million-euro investment plan approved by Enac.

New Wizz Air base and possible merger with Malpensa (2026)

In the same period Sea's chief executive, Armando Brunini, announces that the dossier on a possible integration between Caselle airport and the Milan airports of Malpensa and Linate, run by Sea, will be presented to the shareholders by October; the plan aims at a single North-West airport system through 2i Aeroporti, the owner of Sagat, Caselle's operator.

Wizz Air opens a base at Caselle with 23 routes (September 2026)

The Sharm el Sheikh route will also start on 27 October.

The link with Rome rises to eleven weekly flights: according to Torino Airport's chief executive, Andrea Andorno, the low-cost point-to-point offer complements the long-standing connection with the capital. To Spain there will be eleven weekly flights to Barcelona, four to Madrid and Valencia, three to Malaga, while Bilbao is an entirely new destination.

The dossier on the merger with Malpensa expected to reach the shareholders by October (September 2026)

Armando Brunini, Sea's chief executive, the company that runs Linate and Malpensa, sets a deadline for the first time for the dossier on the integration between the Milan and Turin airports: the conclusions will be ready by October and delivered to the shareholders, who will assess them. The timeline has slipped by a few weeks compared with the first ideas circulated in August, when the feasibility study had seemed set to reach the shareholders already in September.

The most delicate issue in the operation, especially on the political front, is governance: Milan has set the retention of public control as a condition, while Turin has not been among Sagat's shareholders for years. On the industrial side, the plan aims to make the three airports complementary: Malpensa would keep its role as the intercontinental gateway, Linate that of a city airport geared to European and business traffic, while Caselle would strengthen its role as a regional airport, including through the development of low-cost carriers.

The dossier on the merger with Malpensa (September 2026)

According to Brunini any merger would not call into question Caselle's Master Plan to 2032, which envisages investments of 114 million euros.

The new Wizz Air base and the 23 routes to ten countries (September 2026)

The link with Rome Fiumicino rises to eleven weekly flights, while to Spain there will be eleven weekly flights to Barcelona, four to Madrid and Valencia and three to Malaga.

The integration dossier with the Milan airports (September 2026)

The hinge of the operation is 2i Aeroporti, controlled by F2i and Asterion, which owns 100% of Sagat and is at the same time Sea's second-largest shareholder with about 45%; the City of Milan, by contrast, controls 54.8% of Sea and, according to the Radiocor news agency, would keep a majority even in the new entity, with a stake of about 51%. Sea's chief executive, Armando Brunini, has said the feasibility study's conclusions will be ready by October 2026 and then delivered to the shareholders for assessment.

The new Wizz Air base and the 23 routes from 2026

Timeline

  • — Caselle airport launches 23 new routes to 10 countries with Wizz Air, including Barcelona, Madrid, Rome Fiumicino and Naples, with additional winter connections from January 2027. → La Stampa la Repubblica Torino
  • — Sea's chief executive announces that the dossier on the merger between Caselle airport and Malpensa will be presented to the shareholders by October. → La Stampa
  • — An Italian citizen, convicted in 2021 by the Turin Court of Appeal for aiding and abetting prostitution and who had gone into hiding to escape his sentence, is traced to Latvia by the consular authorities and arrested by the State Police at Torino-Caselle airport on his arrival on a flight from Vilnius. → TorinoOggi Prima Torino
  • — Thirty years after 8 October 1996, the Piedmontese press recalls the crash of an Antonov An-124 onto a farmhouse at San Francesco al Campo during an aborted landing at Caselle airport, which caused the deaths of four people. → Quotidiano Piemontese
  • — The Border Police at Torino Caselle airport turn back five Albanian citizens, who had arrived on two flights from Tirana, for lacking the requirements to enter Italy. → TorinoOggi CronacaQui Torino

Related articles: Arrest at Caselle Airport of a Fugitive Convicted of Aiding and Abetting Prostitution (September 2026), Eataly, Malpensa Airport, Opening of the Wizz Air Base at Caselle Airport, September 17, 2026 Announcement on the Caselle-Malpensa Merger, Turin-Ceres railway

Pages linking here

Sources

  1. Aeroporto di Torino (SAGAT)
  2. Mole24 — 29 June 2025
  3. Aeroporto di Torino (SAGAT) — 26 May 2026
  4. Mole24 — 26 August 2026
  5. La Voce e il Tempo — 30 March 2026
  6. Internet Archive (airport.torino.it) — 11 December 2000
  7. Internet Archive (airport.torino.it) — 9 October 2003
  8. TorinoNews24 — 24 June 2022
  9. La Voce e il Tempo — 25 February 2021
  10. TorinoClick — 16 September 2023
  11. TorinoClick — 19 January 2024
  12. Prima il Canavese — 13 September 2026
  13. Aeroporto di Torino (SAGAT) — 2 April 2026
  14. Mole24 — 30 July 2026
  15. Aeroporto di Torino (SAGAT) — 24 April 2026
  16. TorinoClick — 9 April 2026
  17. Aeroporto di Torino (SAGAT) — 14 September 2026
  18. La Stampa — 14 September 2026
  19. la Repubblica Torino — 15 September 2026
  20. Mole24 — 13 August 2026
  21. La Stampa — 17 September 2026
  22. TorinoOggi — 27 September 2026
  23. Prima Torino — 27 September 2026
  24. CronacaQui Torino — 27 September 2026

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