Olbia Costa Smeralda (OLB) Airport Statistics 2025

Page last updated: 30 March 2026

Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport (OLB) serves as the main aviation gateway to northeastern Sardinia and the Costa Smeralda region, handling over 4 million travelers annually. It functions as a key hub for Mediterranean tourism.

Overview

How many passengers pass through Olbia Airport each year?

Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport handles over 4 million passengers annually, making it one of Italy’s fastest-growing regional airports and a major entry point for Sardinia’s tourism sector.

OLB processed 4.16 million passengers in 2025, marking a 7.2% increase over the previous year and setting a new record.
The airport has surpassed its pre-pandemic recovery, exceeding the 2019 total of 2.98 million passengers by over 39%.
Passenger traffic dropped sharply during the pandemic, reaching only 1.02 million in 2020, then rebounded with 2.08 million in 2021 and 3.17 million in 2022.
Growth continued into 2023 with 3.28 million passengers, followed by 3.88 million in 2024.

Domestic vs International Passengers at Olbia Airport

Olbia Airport had a predominantly domestic passenger profile in 2025. This reflects a shift from pre-pandemic years, when international travelers made up the majority.

Domestic traffic accounted for 2.12 million passengers, or 51% of total volume, representing a 51.4% increase from 2019.
International passengers totaled 2.01 million, or 48.3% of overall traffic, reflecting a 29.7% increase over pre-pandemic figures.
The remaining 0.7% belongs to non-commercial passengers.

What is the total number of aircraft operations at Olbia Airport each year?

Olbia Airport sees over 40,000 aircraft movements annually.

In 2025, there were 44,494 takeoffs and landings in the airport, a 5.2% increase from 42,313 in 2024.
This followed a drop in 2020, when operations fell to 18,814 due to the pandemic and a scheduled runway closure, compared to 34,086 in 2019.
The recovery saw operations climbing to 32,575 in 2021 and 40,125 in 2022, followed by 38,371 in 2023.

Types of Aircraft Operations

Domestic flights made up the plurality of aircraft movements at Olbia Airport in 2025.

There were 15,503 domestic operations, a 3.7% decrease from the previous year.
International operations grew to 13,527, representing an 18.2% increase.
General aviation movements totaled 15,464, showing a 4.4% increase.

Which airlines operate the most flights out of Olbia Airport?

Olbia Airport’s market is led by low-cost carriers, especially during the summer season. VistaJet, Volotea and easyJet dominate operations.

Volotea operates the most flights with 28 routes.
easyJet follows with 16 routes, and Ryanair serves 10 routes.
Eurowings and Tui Fly round out the top five, serving 8 and 6 routes, respectively.

What are the monthly trends in passenger traffic at Olbia Airport?

Olbia Airport shows one of Europe’s most concentrated seasonal travel patterns, peaking in summer due to its proximity to popular vacation spots.

From June to September 2025, the airport handled 2.84 million passengers, or about 68% of annual traffic.
July and August were the busiest months with 820,235 and 852,083 passengers respectively, making up more than 40% of yearly totals.
June and September saw 599,791 and 572,439 passengers.
January and February were the slowest months, with 74,192 and 67,672 travelers respectively.

How many routes are there at Olbia Airport?

In the 2024 summer season, the airport offered 154 routes to 89 destinations, up from 73 destinations in summer 2023.
There were 105 international routes operated by 43 airlines serving 26 countries.
Domestic flights focus mainly on Italy’s major hubs, with Milan (Linate and Malpensa) and Rome Fiumicino providing year-round service.

Which destinations are the most popular from Olbia Airport?

Top Domestic Destinations

From Olbia Airport, Milan Linate (LIN) leads as the main domestic destination with 192 flights per month.
Rome Fiumicino (FCO) ranks next with 191 monthly flights, followed by 18 flights to Milan Bergamo (BGY) and 16 to Bologna (BLQ).
Verona (VRN) and Venice Marco Polo (VCE) both record 12 monthly flights.

Top International Destinations

Barcelona (BCN), Munich (MUC) and Paris Orly (ORY) top the list of international routes with an average of 9 monthly flights each.
Amsterdam (AMS) and Frankfurt (FRA) complete the top five, with 8 and 6 flights per month, respectively.

Italy Travel Resources

How much cargo does Olbia Airport handle annually?

Olbia Airport handles modest volumes of cargo each year.

In 2025, it managed 1,391.5 metric tons, up from 1,322.4 metric tons in 2024.
Cargo traffic dropped sharply in 2020 to 5.8 metric tons, down from 93.5 metric tons in 2019.
Since then, the trend has been upward with 149.2 metric tons in 2021, 733.7 metric tons in 2022, and 903.4 metric tons in 2023, continuing to grow steadily.

What are the notable incidents at Olbia Airport?

October 3, 2021: A privately operated Pilatus PC-12 crashed after departing Milan-Linate en route to Olbia, resulting in eight fatalities. The crash was attributed to loss of control in instrument conditions.
January 13, 1999: A Swearingen SA226AT Merlin IV cargo aircraft was damaged beyond repair during landing. Both pilots survived.
September 2, 1983: A Cessna 411 charter flight crashed shortly after takeoff, killing four people and injuring two.

Other Italian Airport Statistics

Other Airport Statistics

References

AA: Olbia Airport Traffic Data
OA: Operating Airlines at Olbia Airport
FC: Airlines and Popular Destinations from Olbia Airport
BAAA: Incidents at Olbia Airport