Italy has never been easier to reach by air. Summer 2026 brings the most expansive direct schedule on record, with new transatlantic launches, two-airline duels on key routes and fresh connections from regional UK airports to Sardinia, Puglia and Sicily.
For property buyers planning viewing trips, the question is no longer whether you can fly direct. It’s where you should fly into, and how to match the airport to your shortlist of regions.
In 2025 Italian airports handled a record 229 million passengers, up 5% on the previous year. That pressure has pushed airlines to open new routes into smaller, regional Italian airports, and the result is a UK and US flight map that looks very different from a year ago.
Key takeaway: As of May 2026, 18 UK airports operate direct flights to Italy, and seven new transatlantic routes have either launched or open this summer. UK buyers can fly direct to 33 Italian destinations and US buyers to 16 Italian cities. Most of the headline 2026 routes are already running, though many summer-only services end in October.
Contents
What’s new for 2026
Two-airline duels on prime routes. Birmingham to Rome now has both EasyJet and Ryanair competing head-to-head. Seattle to Rome has Alaska and Delta running parallel daily services. UK and US buyers benefit from improved pricing and more flight times to choose from.
Three landmark US launches in six weeks. JetBlue began its first-ever flight to Italy on 11 May 2026 (Boston to Milan Malpensa). Delta launched Seattle to Rome on 6 May. ITA Airways opened Houston to Rome on 1 May, with frequencies stepping up to five times weekly from 1 June.
Jet2’s expansion into Italian leisure markets. Jet2 opened its first London Gatwick base on 26 March 2026 with 29 launch routes, several of them Italian. The carrier has also added Birmingham, Manchester and Newcastle services to Palermo for summer 2026.
UK direct routes: now operating
These services are running today. Many fly year-round; others are summer-only and end in October.
The most significant addition this year is the head-to-head competition on Birmingham to Rome. EasyJet launched a year-round, four-times-weekly service in March, and Ryanair followed with a competing schedule. For Midlands buyers looking at properties in Lazio, Abruzzo or central Italy more broadly, this is the easiest direct connection in years.
Ryanair’s wider expansion into Italy’s smaller airports is also worth flagging. New connections from Manchester to Rimini and from London Stansted to Forlì and Parma open up the Adriatic coast and the Emilia-Romagna food and wine country to UK buyers, without the previous need to connect via Bologna or Rome.
| Departure | Destination | Airline | Started |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham | Rome Fiumicino | EasyJet | 5 March (year-round, 4x weekly) |
| Birmingham | Rome Fiumicino | Ryanair | March (competing service) |
| Birmingham | Palermo | Jet2 | 1 May to 23 October (weekly) |
| Bristol | Bari | EasyJet | 18 April to 17 October (Tue/Sat) |
| Edinburgh | Milan Malpensa | Ryanair | 30 March (Mon/Fri) |
| Manchester | Palermo | Jet2 | 1 May to 23 October (Tue/Fri) |
| Manchester | Rimini | Ryanair | Spring 2026 |
| London Stansted | Forlì | Ryanair | Spring 2026 |
| London Stansted | Parma | Ryanair | Spring 2026 |
| Newcastle | Rome Fiumicino | EasyJet | 30 March (Mon/Fri) |
These additions sit on top of the established daily and multi-weekly services from London Gatwick, Heathrow, Luton, Stansted, Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh and Bristol into Rome, Milan, Venice, Naples, Pisa and Bologna.
UK direct routes: starting this summer
A handful of seasonal services launch over the next few weeks. EasyJet’s Glasgow to Pisa connection from 1 August is a useful addition for Scottish buyers looking at Tuscany, and BA CityFlyer’s Stansted to Olbia weekend service from 23 May opens up northern Sardinia and the Costa Smeralda. Manchester and Liverpool gain dedicated routes to Bari and Naples for the southern Italian summer.
| Departure | Destination | Airline | Starts |
|---|---|---|---|
| London Stansted | Olbia (Sardinia) | BA CityFlyer | 23 May to 27 September (Sat/Sun) |
| Newcastle | Palermo | Jet2 | 26 May (weekly Tuesdays) |
| Manchester | Bari | EasyJet | 3 July to 16 October (Mon/Fri) |
| Liverpool | Naples | EasyJet | 3 August to 23 October (Mon/Fri) |
| Glasgow | Pisa | EasyJet | 1 August (Tue/Sat) |
| Belfast International | Rome Fiumicino | EasyJet | 26 October (winter, Mon/Fri) |
The Belfast service is the only direct Northern Ireland to Italy route, and it runs through winter — useful for buyers planning low-season viewing trips when summer crowds and prices have eased.
US direct routes: 2026 launches
American interest in Italian property has stayed strong, helped by the dollar’s recent strength against the euro. US carriers have responded with significant new transatlantic capacity for 2026, and sixteen US airports now offer direct services to Italy. The most striking feature of this year’s schedule is how many of the new routes serve regional Italy rather than just Rome and Milan.
| Departure | Destination | Airline | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston | Milan Malpensa | JetBlue | 11 May (daily summer, A321LR/XLR) |
| Seattle | Rome Fiumicino | Alaska | 28 April to 23 October (daily) |
| Seattle | Rome Fiumicino | Delta | 6 May (competing service, A330-900neo) |
| New York JFK | Olbia (Sardinia) | Delta | 20 May (4x weekly) |
| New York JFK | Catania (Sicily) | Delta | 7 May (now year-round) |
| Newark | Bari (Puglia) | United | 1 May to 7 September (4x weekly) |
| Newark | Palermo (Sicily) | United | 22 May (3x weekly seasonal) |
| Miami | Milan Malpensa | American | 28 March (daily year-round) |
| Houston | Rome Fiumicino | ITA Airways | 1 May (rising to 5x weekly from 1 June) |
| Chicago | Naples | American | May (returns daily seasonal) |
JetBlue’s Boston to Milan launch is a structural change for Boston-based buyers, who previously had to connect via JFK or London. Delta’s decision to make JFK to Catania year-round is also significant for Sicily buyers, who can now fly direct from the US through winter — useful for off-season viewings and managing rental properties.
Where to fly: matching airports to property areas
If you’re property hunting, matching your search area to the nearest airport is a smart first step. Long airport-to-property drives tire viewing trips out, and they cost more in the long run if you’ll be making the journey several times a year for maintenance, rentals or family stays.
Italy has 37 airports receiving international passengers. The list below covers the ones reachable direct from the UK or US, grouped by region.
Northern Italy
The north is Italy’s industrial and financial heartland, but also home to the Lakes, the Dolomites and the Piedmont wine country. Connections from the UK are particularly strong here, with Milan alone served by more than ten UK airports. New York and Miami also fly direct to Milan in 2026, with Boston joining the list from 11 May.
| Italian airport | Best for properties in |
|---|---|
| Milan Malpensa, Linate, Bergamo | Lake Como, Maggiore, Garda, Milan city |
| Venice Marco Polo, Treviso | Venice, the Dolomites, Prosecco hills |
| Verona | Lake Garda, Verona, Valpolicella vineyards |
| Turin | Piedmont wine country, the western Alps |
| Genoa | Liguria, Cinque Terre, Portofino |
| Bolzano | South Tyrol, the Dolomites |
Central Italy
Central Italy covers the classic property hunting grounds — Tuscany, Umbria, Le Marche and parts of Abruzzo. Pisa and Rome handle most UK and US arrivals, but Ryanair’s new services to Forlì and Parma help fill gaps for buyers looking at Emilia-Romagna and the Adriatic side. Florence and Bologna airports are smaller but well-connected to the centre by train.
| Italian airport | Best for properties in |
|---|---|
| Rome Fiumicino, Ciampino | Rome, Lazio, the Abruzzo borders |
| Pisa | Tuscany, Florence (1 hour by train), Lucca |
| Florence | Chianti, Val d’Orcia |
| Bologna | Emilia-Romagna, Modena, Ravenna |
| Perugia | Umbria — Assisi, Spello, Todi |
| Ancona | Le Marche, Conero Riviera |
| Pescara | Abruzzo coast and mountains |
| Forlì, Parma, Rimini | Emilia-Romagna and the Adriatic coast |
Southern Italy and the islands
Southern Italy and the islands offer better value per square metre than the centre and the north, along with a warmer climate that draws year-round residents as well as holidaymakers. International buyer interest has grown noticeably here over the past three years. Most of the new direct routes from US cities for 2026 are concentrated in the south — Bari, Palermo, Catania, Olbia and Naples are all gaining transatlantic capacity.
| Italian airport | Best for properties in |
|---|---|
| Naples | Amalfi Coast, Capri, Pompeii |
| Salerno | Cilento Coast, southern Amalfi |
| Bari | Northern Puglia, the Trulli country |
| Brindisi | Southern Puglia, the Salento beaches |
| Lamezia Terme | Calabria, Tropea |
| Palermo | West Sicily, Cefalù |
| Catania | East Sicily, Taormina, Etna |
| Olbia | Costa Smeralda, northern Sardinia |
For more on choosing your area, see our guides to the best places to live in Italy as an expat and Italian cities ten minutes from an airport.
2025: a record year for Italian airports
Italy’s aviation infrastructure is now busier than at any point in its history, and the figures tell the story of why airlines are queueing up to add new routes.
Fresh ENAC data shows Italy handled 229.7 million passengers in 2025, up 5% on the previous year. Rome Fiumicino crossed 50 million for the first time, finishing on 50.9 million (+4%) and capturing a 22% share of national traffic [1].
Milan Malpensa reached around 31 million (+9%) and Bologna set a record at 11.13 million [2]. Six airports — Bergamo, Venice, Naples, Catania, Palermo and Bologna — are now operating beyond their original capacity, which is part of why airlines have been opening so many new routes into secondary Italian gateways.
International traffic now accounts for 68% of all passengers through Italian airports, with Spain the top international market and Madrid–Fiumicino the busiest single international route.
Visa and entry rules: what’s changed
The biggest practical change for 2026 is the rollout of the EU’s new digital border systems. UK and US buyers planning a viewing trip in summer or autumn will encounter a different border process from the one in place this time last year, and a third change is coming in the final months of the year.
The 90-day rule still applies. UK, US, Australian and Canadian citizens can stay in Italy and the wider Schengen Area for up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period. This applies to tourists and second-home owners alike, unless you have residency. The official European Commission Short-Stay Calculator is the most reliable way to track your remaining days [3].
EES is now live. The Entry/Exit System launched on 10 April 2026. On arrival in Italy, your fingerprints and a facial scan are now recorded digitally instead of your passport being stamped. The first registration can take longer than a manual check, so allow extra time at the border on your first post-launch trip.
ETIAS arrives in late 2026. The European Travel Information and Authorisation System is confirmed for the last quarter of 2026 [4]. This is not a visa — it’s a pre-travel authorisation similar to the US ESTA. Once live, it will be required for visa-exempt travellers entering Italy and the wider Schengen Area. The fee is €20 (£17) for adults aged 18 to 69, with a six-month transitional period before strict enforcement.
What should I do next?
If you’re planning a viewing trip in 2026, three steps are worth taking now.
Lock in your route. Most 2026 services are already bookable, and prices on new routes tend to be most competitive in the first months. Booking early often pays off.
Plan the buying side in parallel. A flight is the easy part. Book a free call with a property consultant to match your shortlist of regions to verified local agents, and download our Italy Buying Guide for the legal and tax basics before you go. You can also browse property for sale in Italy on the YOH portal to refine your search.
Protect your budget from currency swings. If you’re serious about buying, the property cost will dwarf the flight cost. Speaking to a specialist like Smart Currency Exchange about a forward contract can lock in today’s exchange rate, so an unexpected pound or dollar move doesn’t blow up your budget between offer and completion.
Summary
Eighteen UK airports and sixteen US cities now offer direct flights to Italy in 2026. Three landmark transatlantic launches — JetBlue Boston to Milan, Delta Seattle to Rome and ITA Houston to Rome — open up regional Italy to American buyers. UK buyers gain new EasyJet, Ryanair, Jet2 and BA CityFlyer routes to Sardinia, Puglia, Sicily and the Emilia-Romagna coast. Italian airports broke 229 million passengers in 2025, with Rome Fiumicino crossing 50 million for the first time. The EES border system launched in April 2026; ETIAS follows in the last quarter of 2026.
Frequently asked questions
If you are going to be travelling to countryside and village locations I’d recommend hiring a car from the airport. There are many car hire companies, so competition keeps prices low. Look on a comparison website. If travelling into a city, there are usually buses, trains and taxis available to that connect to those. If considering buying a city property without a car, research how far out of town the airport is and travel times.
Citizens from the European Union, Schengen Area and many other countries are exempt from the visa requirement for stays of up to 90 days within a 180-day period. A list of those other countries can be found on the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs website. (Ministero degli Affari Esteri). This list includes The United Kingdom, United States, Australia, and Canada.
Use the official European Commission Short-Stay Calculator or apps such as “Schengen Calculator 90/180”. You simply input your past and planned entry/exit dates, it will then apply a rolling 180-day window to track your used days and tell you how many days you have remaining.
ETIAS is the new travel authorisation for visa-exempt travellers to enter 30 European countries. ETIAS is expected to start operating in the last quarter of 2026. For information visit the official ETIAS website.
A total of 143 airlines offer direct flights to Italy, including 33 low-cost carriers. Ryanair, ITA Airways and Wizz Air Malta cover most of the winter flights.
From the UK: Ryanair, Easyjet, ITA Airways, Wizz Air Malta, British Airways.
From the USA: US airlines (American, Delta, United) and Italy’s national carrier (ITA Airways)
From Canada: Air Canada, Air Transat, WestJet, and ITA Airways.
From Australia: Qantas.
