Meet The Winners: Cagliari Airport

Cagliari Airport (CAG), the primary gateway to the Italian island of Sardinia, has been named the winner of the 5-10 Million Passengers category at the Routes World Awards 2026. 

The award comes during a period of strong momentum for the airport, which is projected to handle a record 5.5 million passengers in 2026. Driving that growth is a long-term strategy focused on expanding air services, reducing seasonality and strengthening Sardinia's position as a destination beyond the traditional summer peak. 

Cagliari has added 12 scheduled routes during the summer 2026 season, with a further four routes planned for winter 2026-27, helping to diversify its network and support traffic growth throughout the year. Seats on scheduled winter services are up 26% compared with winter 2025-26, highlighting the airport's progress in extending demand beyond the peak tourism months. 

EasyJet has expanded its presence at CAG with the launch of a 3X-weekly service to Nice in June, followed by 2X-weekly routes to Paris Orly and Geneva in October. The carrier is scheduled to add flights to London Gatwick in June 2027, further strengthening links between Sardinia and key European markets. 

Aeroitalia has also significantly increased its commitment to the airport. During the summer season, the Italian carrier based six aircraft at CAG and offered approximately 1.5 million seats, supporting new routes to Bologna, Florence, Pisa, Alghero, Olbia and Lamezia.  

Growth has not been limited to new destinations. Throughout 2026, airlines added frequencies on 45 existing routes, with overall scheduled connectivity forecast to increase by 16% year-on-year compared with 2025. 

A key factor behind the airport's performance has been its collaborative approach to route development. The airport works closely with airline partners through data-driven market analysis, strategic planning and investment programs designed to support sustainable, long-term growth.  

Speaking with Routes during Routes World 2026, David Crognaletti, chief commercial officer at CAG, identified Northern and Eastern Europe as important growth markets for future network development. Looking further ahead, Crognaletti said transatlantic services to the United States remain a long-term ambition as the airport seeks to capitalize on growing premium leisure demand. 

With commendable network growth, strong airline incentives and the team's ability to build long-term partnerships, CAG were crowned the winner of the 5-10 Million Passenger category during the Routes Awards in Frankfurt. Reflecting on the recognition, Crognaletti said: “Winning the award is a great satisfaction for my team. It’s the cherry on top at the end of the job. We are very satisfied.” 

Having previously hosted a Routes event in 2011, Crognaletti also emphasized the importance of the forum in supporting airport growth strategies: “It’s important to be at Routes. Every airport that has growth in their strategy has to be in attendance.”