Palermo Airport Statistics

Palermo’s Falcone Borsellino Airport (PMO) serves as western Sicily’s main air hub, handling nearly 9 million passengers annually. It is one of Europe’s fastest-growing regional airports in the post-pandemic period.

Palermo Airport handles over 9 million passengers annually, making it one of Italy’s fastest-growing regional airports and Sicily’s second-busiest air facility.

• PMO processed 9.22 million passengers in 2025, a 3.4% increase from the previous year and a new all-time high.
• This figure exceeds the pre-pandemic 2019 total of 7.02 million by 31.3%, marking a full recovery and continued growth.
• Passenger numbers dropped sharply during the pandemic, falling to 2.70 million in 2020.
• Recovery began in 2021 with 4.58 million, then climbed to 7.12 million in 2022.
• The airport continued its upward trend, growing from 8.08 million in 2023 to 8.92 million in 2024.

How many Domestic vs International Passengers does Palermo Airport serve?

Palermo Airport serves mostly domestic traffic, though international travel is growing and now makes up a larger share of overall activity.

• In 2025, domestic passengers totaled 6.12 million, accounting for 66.4% of total traffic.
• International passengers reached 3.08 million, representing 33.4% of the total and showing notable growth over previous years.
• The remaining 0.2% belongs to non-commercial passengers.

Ryanair is Palermo Airport’s leading carrier, offering the widest route network and highest flight frequency.

• Ryanair serves 45 destinations from PMO.
• Volotea follows with 20 destinations, and easyJet serves 15.
• Other airlines operate 3-6 destinations each.

• Palermo Airport offers 92 to 97 non-stop passenger routes across 25 countries.
• The network includes about 26 domestic routes and a wide range of international destinations.
• This reflects a dual-market strategy: high-frequency domestic service throughout the year and seasonal international leisure flights.

Palermo Airport handles approximately 1,500 to 3,100 tons of cargo per year.

• In 2025, cargo throughput reached 1,534 tons, an increase of 6.2% compared with 1,445 tons in 2024 and 9.9% lower than 1,702 tons in 2023.
• Pre-pandemic, the 2019 total stood at 1,166 tons.
• Cargo volume rose to 2,534 tons in 2020, then increased to a peak of 3,077 in 2021 before falling to 2,321 in 2022.

• May 5, 1972: Alitalia Flight 112 (Douglas DC-8) crashed into Mount Longa on approach, killing 115.
• December 23, 1978: Alitalia Flight 4128 (McDonnell Douglas DC-9) crashed into the sea after premature descent, killing 108 of 129 onboard.
• August 6, 2005: Tuninter Flight 1153 (ATR 72) ditched in the sea after fuel exhaustion due to a faulty gauge, resulting in 16 deaths.
• September 24, 2010: Wind Jet Flight 243 (Airbus A319) landed short during a thunderstorm with windshear, causing 20 minor injuries and no fatalities.