Cagliari Airport (CAG)

Cagliari Airport is situated 7 km to the northwest of Cagliari, on the island of Sardinia. It is actually located in the area of Elmas, and is therefore often referred to as Cagliari-Elmas Airport. Another name for this Italian airport is Aeroporto Mario Mameli. Cagliari Airport handles international and domestic flights, and is Sardinia’s most important airport in terms of traffic and size. It is considered to be the main gateway to the island. At present, Cagliari Airport handles over three million passengers per year.

This airport in Sardinia has the official airport code of CAG (IATA code), and its ICAO code is LIEE. Cagliari Airport has two runways, and a single multi-level terminal building, which was restored in 2003. The terminal consists of three levels, with Arrivals on the ground floor, Departures on the first floor, and the operating company’s administration offices on the top floor. In the Arrivals area, the Baggage reclaim hall and airline’s lost and found offices are accessed by passengers and staff by modern and air conditioned loading bridges. The International Arrivals Area has offices for the Police, Customs and Guardia di Finanza. There is also a common area which offers several passenger and business services, such as ATMs, a first aid station and a post office, as well as various refreshment outlets.

The Departures level can be accessed by car, by means of an external ramp, and consists of 42 Check-in desks and two VIP Lounges. Disabled passengers or persons with reduced mobility may also use the services of ‘Sala Amica’, which is a lounge dedicated to passengers who require additional assistance. Other facilities include the airline ticket counters, shopping outlets, a chapel, snack bars and an exhibition gallery. Beyond the security controls there are some more shops and a refreshment outlet with lovely views of the runway. WiFi internet access is also available, which could be useful for business passengers. A nice restaurant serving all kinds of meals can be found on the top floor as well, along with the airport administration offices.

The new and upgraded airport terminal was officially opened in June, 2003, and is now equipped to easily handle four million passengers per year. This amount of passengers may even be reached in 2010, as in 2009, the airport already had a count of 3,333,421 passengers. The new terminal is modern, spacious and functional, and the building blends in perfectly with its surrounding environment. On its large glass surfaces and metallic cover, it reflects the local landscape’s natural colors. The building is mainly constructed from white limestone, which is a building material commonly used for many of Cagliari’s constructions and monuments.

Within Cagliari Airport’s terminal building, there is also an impressive business center located on the third floor. It is an area of 800 square meters, featuring a conference room which can seat up to 180 people, reception area and six offices that can be used by business passengers for small, private meetings. The conference area can be divided into three separate areas as well, and is equipped with radio microphones, sound system diffusion, screens, overhead projectors, CD, VHS and DVD players, and an ADSL internet connection. The food and beverage area can be easily reached from the Business Area through a dedicated passage.

Cagliari Airport is served by a wide range of airline companies, which fly to many local and international destinations. Ryanair is one of the airline companies which has the majority of flights, and their destinations include Bari, Brescia, Genoa, Madrid, Marseille, Milan Orio al Serio, Paris Beauvais, Rome Ciampino, Trapani, Valencia and Venice-Treviso. Lufthansa Regional, operated by Lufthansa CityLine, flies to Munich, and Alitalia offers flights to Milan-Linate, Rome-Fiumicino and Venice-Marco Polo. Other airline companies at Cagliari Airport include EasyJet, British Airways, Air Berlin, Meridiana Fly, Windjet and Luxair, with flights to Luxembourg.

Elmas Airport, or Mario Mameli Airport, is managed and operated by the company of So.G.Aer S.p.A. Their aim is to create a modern and efficient airport system that functions with the highest levels of safety and quality. The organization is responsible for providing centralized services to passengers, aircrafts and merchandise, the planning, maintenance and functioning of the airport’s areas, as well as the management and development of commercial activities within the airport. One of their specific aims is to develop passenger traffic and new point to point routes, by various promotional means. So.G.Aer has managed Cagliari Airport since the 1st of August, 1990. The So.G.Aer Group consists of So.G.Aer S.p.A, who is responsible for the management of Cagliari Airport, Sogaerdyn S.p.A., supplying airport handling services, Sogaer Security S.p.A., and Sogaer Service S.r.l., managing the airport car parking areas.

Commercial advertising is offered by Cagliari Airport. A competent team of professionals ensure that the best advertising solutions are in place to give maximum coverage. Various promotional tools are available inside and outside the terminal. Online advertising is offered in the form of promotional banners linked to the company’s website.

Passengers arriving at Cagliari Airport can find out more information about tourism in the area from the Information point at the airport, and general airport inquiries can be made at the general information desks within the terminal. The official website address of Cagliari Airport is http://www.cagliariairport.it/en/.

Find below a choice of Airlines, destination and flight times from Cagliari Airport.

Meridiana, Ryanair and Alitalia are the three busiest Airlines that fly out of Cagliari Airport; together they cover around 37 routes out of the total of 46. The busiest being Meridiana which covers a total of 134 flights a week form a total of 500 Meridiana travels to 27% of the total destinations from Cagliari Airport. Meridiana offers flights from Cagliari to the most popular destinations including Fiumicino, Linate, Guglielmo Marconi, Valerio Catullo, Costa Smeralda and Sandro Pertini.

You can see below a selection of nonstop flights covered from Cagliari Airport with approximate times

When arriving in Cagliari Airport you may wish to hire a car, most of the reputable companies are situates in the Arrivals hall or close by. Please bring your valid driving licence and credit card if your require a hire car on your trip to Cagliari Airport. To be sure of beating the queues at the airport it is wise to book your Cagliari Car hire online, please visit the link for more information.