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Turin-Caselle Airport

Turin's civil airport, opened in Caselle Torinese in 1953 and managed by SAGAT: in 2025 it surpassed 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

Turin-Caselle Airport is the civil airport serving Turin and Piedmont: it lies in the territory of Caselle Torinese, north of the regional capital, within the metropolitan city. It is managed by SAGAT – Società Azionaria Gestione Aeroporto Torino, headquartered at strada San Maurizio 12 –, whose capital is wholly owned by 2i Aeroporti; the board of directors is chaired by Roberta Neri, and the managing director is Andrea Andorno[1]. Opened in 1953 as the «Città di Torino» airport and today named after Sandro Pertini, in 2025 it surpassed 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 motor-flight demonstration in piazza d'Armi, and on 8 July Teresa Peltier became the first woman in the world to fly as a pilot 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 began operating on 10 July 1916 with the takeoff of a military prototype; on 23 May 1917 the first Italian airmail flight left from there for Rome-Centocelle, carrying «200 kilograms of mail and a hundred copies of a Turin daily newspaper»[4].

On 1 April 1926 two seaplanes of SISA, the company of the Trieste shipowners Cosulich, took off from Turin on Italy's first scheduled air route, between Turin and Trieste with stops in Pavia and Venice[5]. After the war it was Aeritalia, the FIAT field 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 those same years also saw the Superga air disaster of 4 May 1949[2][5].

The «Città di Torino» airport

The new Caselle airport was inaugurated in 1953 and took the place of Aeritalia, which until then had been Turin's main airfield[2][5]. The Mole24 guide tells the story 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 equipped with ILS, the instrument landing system that allows operation in poor visibility[2].

The two major projects: Italy '90 and the Olympics

The first expansion was tied to the 1990 football World Cup, although work finished only in 1994: the old control tower was demolished and six boarding piers and a multi-storey car park were built[2]. In those years the airport already had a website 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 from 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 as 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, in its eighteenth edition, for the recovery after the pandemic; the President of the Piedmont Region Alberto Cirio called it «an important recognition»[8].

Crisis and recovery

2020 was the hardest year: passengers fell to 1.4 million, 64.4% less than the previous year, 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 entire 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 system 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 for 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, which cost over 230 million euros: from 20 January, trains of the metropolitan rail service connect 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 connects the regional capital with Caselle and the Valli di Lanzo, and since 13 September 2026 it has resumed service as far as Ceres[12].

The airport today

In 2025 Caselle counted 5,006,169 passengers, 6.7% more than in 2024 and 26.7% more than in 2019: the first year over 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 surpassed 500,000 monthly passengers 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, covering 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, Saturday winter flights to Wroclaw, Gdansk, Katowice and Prague; Rome Fiumicino and Barcelona each reach eleven weekly flights. According to the airline the base is worth 80 direct jobs and around 700 indirect ones[17][18][19]. «This is an opportunity for concrete growth and development for our airport», commented mayor Lo Russo[16].

The possible integration with Milan

Piedmontese public bodies have exited SAGAT by degrees: the Comune di Torino sold off 28% in 2012 and the last 10% in 2018, and since 2023 2i Aeroporti has owned 100% of it[20]. The same 2i Aeroporti, controlled by F2i and Asterion, is with about 45% the second-largest shareholder of SEA, which manages Linate and Malpensa and of which the City of Milan holds 54.8%; according to reports the City would retain a majority, around 51%, even in the new company[21]. Around this link a single North-West airport system is being studied, with Malpensa as the intercontinental hub, Linate as the city airport and Caselle as 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 dossier; according to Brunini the integration would not call into question Caselle's Master Plan[21].

The new Wizz Air base (September 2026)

In September 2026 Wizz Air opens its seventh base in Italy at Caselle, with a first Airbus A321Neo permanently based 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 Wroclaw, Gdansk, Katowice and Prague; according to the airline, the two based aircraft generate 80 direct jobs and around 700 indirect ones.1

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

The chief executive of Sea, the company that manages Malpensa and Linate, announces that the dossier on the integration between Sea and Sagat, the operator of Turin-Caselle, will be ready by October 2026 and delivered to the shareholders: the project 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 approved by Enac through 2032, 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 Turin Caselle with the first Airbus A321Neo permanently based 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 around 1.3 million seats on sale in 2026.

The merger dossier with Malpensa (September 2026)

The project aims to integrate Sea and Sagat, the operator of Caselle, 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 towards 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 the second-largest shareholder of Sea with about 45%; the City of Milan controls 54.8% of Sea and, according to early reports, would retain 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 manages the Milan airports of Linate and Malpensa, Armando Brunini, announces that the dossier on the integration between Sea and Sagat, the operator of Turin Caselle airport, will be ready and presented to the shareholders by October. The project 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, describes the possible consolidation as «positive for all the parties involved». The operation would not affect Caselle's Master Plan through 2032, already approved by Enac, which envisages 114 million euros of investment at the airport.

The new Wizz Air base and the 2026 routes

On 14 September 2026 Wizz Air officially opens a base at Turin Caselle, bringing the first Airbus A321Neo into permanent service at the airport; 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: the ten new destinations include 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 Wroclaw, Gdansk, Katowice and Prague.1 According to Wizz Air the two aircraft based in Turin will bring 80 new direct jobs and around 700 indirect ones; Torino Airport's chief executive Andrea Andorno highlights the strengthening of the connection 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 Turin-Caselle will be delivered to the shareholders by October 2026, a few weeks later than the first ideas circulating in August. Andrea Andorno, chief executive of Sagat, declares himself in favour of a consolidation operation. The possible integration would not call into question Caselle's Master Plan through 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 around 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 merger dossier with Malpensa by October 2026

The project aims to integrate Sea with Sagat, the company that manages 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 the second-largest shareholder of Sea with about 45%, while the City of Milan controls 54.8% of Sea and would retain a majority stake of around 51% in the new entity. Under the industrial plan, Malpensa would retain the role of intercontinental gateway, Linate that of 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 Turin-Caselle airport on a flight from Vilnius, an Italian citizen sentenced in 2021 by the Turin Court of Appeal for aiding and abetting prostitution and who had made himself untraceable to evade the sentence. The man had been located in Latvia by the Italian consular authorities.

The integration project with the Milan airports (September 2026)

In September 2026 Sea, the company that manages Malpensa and Linate, launches a feasibility study for the integration between its own airport system and that of Turin Caselle, managed 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 the second-largest shareholder of Sea with about 45%; the City of Milan, on the other hand, controls 54.8% of Sea. In the project, Malpensa would retain the role of intercontinental airport, Linate that of city airport, and Caselle would strengthen its role as a regional airport, including through low-cost carriers; Sagat's chief executive, Andrea Andorno, said he was in favour of a consolidation.

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

The first web-archive snapshot of the domain airport.torino.it, from 11 December 2000, presents 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 on 20 September of that year.

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

On 27 September 2026 an Italian citizen, sentenced in 2021 by the Turin Court of Appeal for aiding and abetting prostitution and who had made himself untraceable to evade the sentence, is located in Latvia by the consular authorities and arrested by the State Police at Turin-Caselle airport on his arrival on a flight from Vilnius.

Possible merger with the Milan Sea airport system (September 2026)

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

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

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

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

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

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

Under the new structure, Malpensa would retain the role of intercontinental gateway, Linate that of city airport, while Caselle would strengthen its role as a regional airport, including through the development of low-cost carriers; the possible integration would not call into question the Master Plan through 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 around 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.

Under the industrial hypothesis, Malpensa would remain the intercontinental gateway, Linate the city airport for business traffic, and Caselle would strengthen its role as a regional airport with a low-cost orientation. Sagat's chief executive, Andrea Andorno, said he was open to the operation, noting that he did not yet have further details on the dossier.

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 Turin Caselle, bringing to the airport the first Airbus A321Neo permanently in service, with a second aircraft arriving on 25 October: for the airline, second in Italy by market share, Turin thus becomes the seventh base in the country.

A few days later, the chief executive of Sea (which manages Linate and Malpensa), Armando Brunini, announced that the dossier on the integration between the Milan and Turin Caselle airports will be presented to the shareholders by October 2026. The project aims to integrate Sea and Sagat, the operator of Caselle, 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 retain a majority stake of around 51% in the new entity, while Turin has no longer been present in Sagat's shareholding structure 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 there, expanding its network to 23 routes to ten countries including Barcelona, Madrid, Rome Fiumicino and Naples, with additional winter connections from January 2027 to Wroclaw, Gdansk, Katowice and Prague; Torino Airport's chief executive Andrea Andorno put the employment impact of the operation at 80 direct jobs and around 700 indirect ones.

In the same month Sea's chief executive Armando Brunini announced that the dossier on the merger between Caselle airport, managed by Sagat, and the Milan airports of Malpensa and Linate will be presented to the shareholders by October; the project, centred on 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 Turin Caselle, the airline's seventh in Italy, with an Airbus A321Neo permanently in operation (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 are Barcelona, Bilbao, Lamezia Terme, Madrid, Malaga, Naples, Rome Fiumicino, Sharm el Sheikh, Suceava and Valencia, with Saturday winter connections to Wroclaw, Gdansk, Katowice and Prague starting in January 2027 — for around 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, managed by Sea, will be presented to the shareholders by October; the project aims at a single North-West airport system through 2i Aeroporti, the owner of Sagat, the operator of Caselle.

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

From 27 October the route to Sharm el Sheikh will also start.

The connection with Rome rises to eleven weekly flights: according to Torino Airport's chief executive, Andrea Andorno, the point-to-point low-cost offering sits alongside the historic connection with the capital. Towards Spain, eleven weekly flights to Barcelona are planned, four to Madrid and Valencia, three to Malaga, while Bilbao is an entirely new destination.

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

Armando Brunini, chief executive of Sea, the company that manages 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 evaluate them. The timeline is extended by a few weeks compared with the first ideas circulating in August, when the feasibility study seemed set to reach the shareholders as early as 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 no longer been present in Sagat's shareholding structure for years. On the industrial level, the project aims to make the three airports complementary: Malpensa would retain the role of intercontinental gateway, Linate that of city airport geared towards European and business traffic, while Caselle would strengthen its role as a regional airport, including through the development of low-cost carriers.

The merger dossier with Malpensa (September 2026)

According to Brunini, the possible merger would not call into question Caselle's Master Plan through 2032, which envisages 114 million euros of investment.

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

The connection with Rome Fiumicino rises to eleven weekly flights, while to Spain eleven weekly flights to Barcelona are planned, 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 the second-largest shareholder of Sea with about 45%; the City of Milan, on the other hand, controls 54.8% of Sea and, according to the Radiocor agency, would retain the majority in the new entity too, with a stake of around 51%. Sea's chief executive, Armando Brunini, stated that the conclusions of the feasibility study will be ready by October 2026 and then delivered to the shareholders for evaluation.

The new Wizz Air base and the 23 routes from 2026

The website airport.torino.it

The airport had a website at the domain airport.torino.it, recorded by the web archive between 2000-12-11 and 2003-10-09; the first copy, produced by SAGAT, included sections on radar and flight information, corporate, road, regional, tourist and sports information.

Timeline

  • — Caselle airport activates 23 new Wizz Air routes to 10 countries, including Barcelona, Madrid, Rome Fiumicino and Naples, with additional winter connections from January 2027. → La Stampa la Repubblica Torino
  • — Sea's chief executive announced that the dossier on the merger between Caselle airport and Malpensa will be presented to the shareholders by October. → La Stampa
  • — An Italian citizen, sentenced in 2021 by the Turin Court of Appeal for aiding and abetting prostitution and who had made himself untraceable to evade the sentence, is located in Latvia by the consular authorities and arrested by the State Police at Turin-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 in San Francesco al Campo during a failed landing at Caselle airport, which caused the death of four people. → Quotidiano Piemontese
  • — The Border Police of Turin Caselle airport turn back five Albanian citizens, arrived on two flights from Tirana, who lacked 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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