Tourism and transport as pillars of territorial development. It is around this axis that one of the most significant moments of discussion at BTM Italy 2026, the international tourism fair hosted at the Fiera del Levante in Bari, has developed. During the focus dedicated to mobility and infrastructure, one of the most anticipated interventions was certainly that of Sandro Pappalardo, president of ITA Airways, who outlined the strategic role of Puglia in the network of the national airline.
In his speech in the Main Arena, Pappalardo emphasized how the relationship between tourism and transport represents a decisive lever for the growth of destinations: “Tourism and transport are an inseparable pair. That’s why we are at BTM Italy: these events are fundamental meeting moments, opportunities where strategies are outlined and we return home with new ideas to work on”, he explained.
The Puglia, in this scenario, confirms itself as one of the most attractive destinations for national and international air traffic. The numbers for 2025, illustrated by the president of the company, testify to a constantly growing demand: “This is an extraordinary territory and we are very satisfied with the results achieved by the airports of Bari and Brindisi. 2025 closed very well: we transported about 1 million and 315 thousand passengers to and from these two airports, with a load factor exceeding 84%. This is a really high occupancy rate and highly profitable flights”, highlighted Pappalardo.
In detail, ITA Airways will face the summer season with a varied offer of more strategic connections with the company’s main hubs: “For the summer 2026, we will operate five daily flights from Rome Fiumicino to Bari, six from Milan Linate to Bari, four from Fiumicino to Brindisi, and two from Linate to Brindisi. It is an important schedule that demonstrates how central Puglia is in our network”, he explained. However, the president of ITA Airways did not hide that the demand coming from the Puglia region is even stronger than the current offer: “We know well that the territory is asking us for further effort. If we were to add a few more flights, we could probably fill them without difficulty, because the demand for Puglia is really very high. Everyone wants to come to this region”. An eventual strengthening of the routes remains an objective on the table, even if the company has to deal with operational limits related to fleet availability: “At this moment, we do not yet have sufficient aircraft availability to increase the offer, but we are carefully studying the situation. On our table, there is already the dossier regarding the possibility of increasing flights to these territories and we are working to understand how we can do more in the future”, added Pappalardo.
Finally, the president of ITA Airways wanted to emphasize the human and cultural value of the Puglia destination, which continues to attract travelers from all over Europe: “Puglia is a beautiful, highly sought-after destination. It’s not just the numbers that say so: we perceive it daily from the level of demand from passengers. It’s a territory that I love very much and where I gladly return even on vacation”, he concluded.
