What’s On The Horizon For: Rimini Airport

Routes Europe has officially been handed over to route development stakeholders across Rimini, Italy. During the 2025 edition of the event, Routes spoke with Rimini Airport, part of the host team, about its recent successes and plans for network growth.

Located in Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region, Rimini and San Marino International Airport “Federico Fellini” (RMI) is a key driver of tourism development in the area. The airport is currently undergoing modernization as part of AIRiminum Group’s ambitious masterplan to upgrade infrastructure and improve accessibility for both airlines and passengers.

RMI is forecast to handle 450,000 passengers in 2025—a 50% increase from the previous year—driven by strong growth from new airline partners and expanded route offerings. Speaking during Routes Europe 2025, RMI CEO Leonardo Corbucci said: “2025 is an important year for Rimini Airport with easyJet, Vueling and British Airways all commencing new routes.”

In April, easyJet expanded its operations from Rimini with new routes to London Gatwick Airport and EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg (BSL), while in May British Airways launched a 3X-weekly service to London Heathrow Airport, enhancing connectivity for long-haul travelers from the U.S. and Canada.

In July, Spanish carrier Vueling commenced a new service to Barcelona El Prat Airport, further strengthening Rimini’s European network. Meanwhile, existing partner Ryanair has increased RMI capacity by 20% across its services during the summer schedule.

While Rimini is primarily known as a leisure destination, it also attracts a significant number of business travelers, with the surrounding region home to world-renowned automotive companies such as Ferrari and Maserati. CEO Leonardo Corbucci says the airport aims to boost connectivity within the leisure market while expanding opportunities to support business travel.

The first phase of RMI’s masterplan is set for completion in 2027. Backed by a multimillion-euro investment, the project includes runway expansion and terminal modernization. “I believe we will create the most modern and most beautiful regional airport in Italy—an iconic attraction in the Emilia-Romagna region,” Corbucci said.

Routes Europe 2026 will be hosted by The Emilia-Romagna Region, The Municipality of Rimini and the Rimini and San Marino International Airport. Taking place on 18-20 May, the European route development community will unite in Rimini to participate in network-defining meetings.