Palermo Airport

Hardly any airport in Europe is as dramatically situated as Palermo. On a narrow coastal strip near Cinisi, the Tyrrhenian Sea on one side and a steep mountain range on the other have left room for the airport – and no more. What is demanding for pilots on approach is a gift for you as a spotter: aircraft in front of rock faces, glittering water and, on sirocco days, jets hanging at an angle in the crosswind. On top of that comes dense low-cost operations with no fewer than five based airlines.

From Boccadifalco to Punta Raisi

Palermo’s first airfield was in Boccadifalco on the southwestern edge of the city. It was unsuitable for the emerging jets: runway too short, mountains all around. In the 1950s the decision was therefore made to build a new airport, and the choice fell on Cape Punta Raisi, about 35 kilometers west of the city. On January 2, 1960, the first scheduled flight landed there, coming from Rome Ciampino.

The choice of site is still regarded as one of the most controversial decisions in Italian aviation history. An alternative on the coast east of Palermo was also under discussion. According to Italian accounts, later court proceedings concluded that the interests of the local Mafia had played a role in the decision for Punta Raisi. For flight operations, this left a site with difficult conditions: the mountains stand close to the airport, and the hot, gusty sirocco from the southeast blows across the main runway.

Boccadifalco, by the way, still exists – today it is a civilian airfield for general aviation and the seat of an aero club. Scheduled traffic runs entirely through Punta Raisi.

A name with weight

Since the 1990s the airport has carried the names of Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino. The two investigating judges from Palermo had spent years investigating Cosa Nostra and were killed in bomb attacks in 1992, a few weeks apart. The attack on Falcone happened on the motorway between the airport and the city – exactly the route you take today if you drive from the terminal toward Palermo.

Officially the airport is called Aeroporto Internazionale Falcone Borsellino. In everyday use, in many flight schedules and among spotters, though, people often simply say Punta Raisi. Both names mean the same airport with the codes PMO and LICJ.

Two runways because of one wind

The main runway 07/25 is 3,326 meters long and 60 meters wide. It runs roughly parallel to the coast and is designed for large types up to the Boeing 747. Almost all traffic uses it. Alongside it there is the crosswind runway 02/20, about 2,070 meters long. It is used mainly when strong crosswinds like the sirocco make operations on the main runway difficult. Both runways are paved and equipped with instrument landing systems.

As everywhere, the wind decides which direction is in use on the main runway. The article Understanding the runway direction in use at airports explains how to estimate the active direction in advance. For Palermo it is also worth looking at weather maps to spot sirocco conditions early – tips are in the article on Windy and other weather maps.

Approach between rock and water

The mountain range south of the airport, which includes the Montagna Longa, reaches close to the runway. Approaches therefore follow fixed procedures, and crews must work especially carefully in wind and poor visibility. Two serious accidents mark the airport’s history: on May 5, 1972, an Alitalia DC-8 flew into the Montagna Longa on a night approach, and all 115 people on board died. On December 23, 1978, an Alitalia DC-9 crashed into the sea on approach; 108 people died and 21 were rescued.

Technology has changed fundamentally since then. Both runways now have instrument landing systems, and modern approach procedures guide aircraft safely past the obstacles. For you as a spotter, what remains is above all the picture: aircraft floating into the frame in front of a rock face or flying toward the runway over the water. You can read how an instrument approach works in general in the article on the ILS approach.

More recently, too, it has been shown how demanding the weather can be. In September 2010 an Airbus A319 of the now-defunct Wind Jet touched down short of runway 07 in a thunderstorm with wind shear. The aircraft was badly damaged; there were minor injuries but no fatalities.

Low-cost bases in the Mediterranean

Palermo is not a connecting hub but a classic destination and island airport. Low-cost and leisure airlines shape the picture. Bases are maintained by Ryanair, Wizz Air, Volotea, Aeroitalia and the Danish DAT. Domestic flights by ITA Airways to Rome and Milan and European carriers such as easyJet, Transavia France and Turkish Airlines are added.

For fleet watching that means you mostly see narrowbody jets. For Ryanair these are the Boeing 737-800 and the newer 737 MAX 8-200, for Wizz Air mostly the A321neo, for Volotea types like the A319 and A320. Turboprops such as the ATR 72 appear on regional routes. Which aircraft an airline is currently using changes with fleet planning and season – check the current schedule or a flight tracker.

Long-haul in summer

Outside peak season you hardly get to see any widebody aircraft in Palermo. In summer this changes somewhat: Neos offers seasonal flights to New York JFK, and United Airlines has flown seasonally to Newark since May 2025. Back in the 2000s, the former Italian leisure airline Eurofly had offered a New York connection. Such seasonal routes can change from year to year – it is best to check before your trip whether they are in the current schedule.

The main runway would be suitable for even larger aircraft. According to Italian accounts, two Boeing 747s can even be handled at jet bridges at the terminal at the same time. In scheduled everyday operations that plays no role, though; here the narrowbody jets of the base airlines determine the picture.

Record numbers and alternate airport for Catania

Traffic has grown strongly in recent years. After collapsing to about 2.7 million passengers in the pandemic year 2020, the number rose to about 9.22 million by 2025 – a record and a clear increase over the pre-crisis level of about 7 million in 2019. That makes Palermo the second-largest airport in Sicily after Catania Airport. Cargo, by contrast, plays hardly any role: in 2025 it was only just over 1,500 tonnes.

Palermo has a special role as an alternate airport. When Etna emits ash, Catania has to restrict or suspend operations temporarily. According to the operator, several hundred flights were diverted from Catania to Palermo this way in summer 2026. Such days are exciting for spotters because airlines and types show up that otherwise land only on the eastern side of the island. If you are in Sicily in summer, you should therefore keep an eye on Etna reports.

Investment is happening too: in July 2026, GES.A.P. and the Italian aviation authority ENAC signed a program contract with investments of 68 million euros. Before that, the operator had already expanded the terminal step by step, for example with a new arrivals hall in 2016 and an additional check-in area in 2017.

Getting there: train beneath the terminal

The airport is far out but well connected. Directly beneath the terminal there is a station that has been in operation since 2001. Line A trains of the Palermo city railway run from there to the main station, Palermo Centrale, roughly every half hour on weekdays until late evening. Buses from private operators also run to downtown and to other Sicilian cities. By car you reach the airport via the A29 motorway between Palermo and Trapani or Mazara del Vallo.

For spotters, a rental car is often still the better choice. The coastal roads and villages around the airport, such as Cinisi and Terrasini, are awkward to reach by train. You’ll find general tips on getting there in the article Getting to the spot.

Spotting in Palermo: what you should know

According to our research, there is no official visitors’ park, observation deck or operator-promoted spotter spot in Palermo. Spotters therefore use public paths and roads around the grounds. Which location is worthwhile depends heavily on the runway direction in use and the sun position – and on whether you want landings in front of the mountains or over the water in your frame.

The light is a topic of its own. The main runway runs roughly east–west, and at midday the sun is in the south above the mountains. Depending on which side of the runway you stand on, you shoot with the sun at your back or against it at midday. With Planetrack’s sun position planner you can see in advance when the light suits your location; the basics are explained in the article Planning the sun position at the photo spot. In heat, shimmer over the asphalt comes on top – remedies are in the article on heat haze.

Palermo compared

In Sicily, Catania Airport is bigger and has Etna as a backdrop, while Palermo scores with its location between mountains and sea. If you are planning a Mediterranean round trip, you can combine Palermo with Naples Airport or Malta Airport – both are also dramatically situated by the water. For long-haul and the ITA fleet, though, there is no way around Rome Fiumicino Airport in Italy.

The articles Planning a spotting vacation and Planning spotting trips on a budget show how to build such a tour sensibly while saving money. And if you prefer filming to photographing on sirocco days, you’ll find tips in the article on crosswind landings and storms on video.

Conclusion

Palermo Airport is not a place for widebody hunters, but it is one of Italy’s most photogenic airports. The location on the narrow coastal strip of Punta Raisi provides backdrops you get at hardly any other airport, and the sirocco regularly brings crosswind landings that make pictures lively. With five base airlines, there is almost always something going on, too.

As everywhere, wind, light and a look at the flight schedule decide how the day goes. Anyone who also knows the airport’s history – from the controversial site to the namesakes Falcone and Borsellino – sees Punta Raisi with different eyes.