Our history

The Ampugnano Airport was established at the beginning of years '30. It immediately took upon a high strategic importance, due to national air force flight school "Rondine" ("Swallow"), and to its operative and strategic usage during those years.
Also during 2nd World War the airport remained a reference point for all the opponents. Fortunately, the most important infrastructures weren't damaged heavily.

At the end of war, some volunteers headed by Commander Gianfranco Fagnani, founded a civilian flight school. During the following decades, the school allowed several inhabitants of Siena taking the pilot's license. Many of them were then able to get on in civilian airlines or Air Force with a satisfactory (and in some cases astounding) career.

During the Sixties, most important Bodies in Siena, headed by the Chamber of Commerce, began highlighting a possible evolution for the Ampugnano Airport, by adding a commercial activity to the flight school.
Immediately, a basic step was carried out: the airport property switched from Military to Civilian authority. The "de-militarization" was necessary in order to start a development programme and to manage in a more rational and effective way the whole infrastructure and related services.
The above mentioned Bodies also created a consortium, whose first task was obtaining a grant, from the Government, to manage and improve both structures and services.

Since then (it was the end of '70), the managers' activity has been concentrating into increasing the safety and practicability of the Airport.
New assistance and safety services were created. This allowed the Airport to open to commercial traffic. At the same time, a new control tower was built, along with a new hangar, the Fire Brigades bunker and, almost at the same time, a new parking area for aircrafts and new taxying routes.

The effort then concentrated into reaching adequate safety standards. This led in turn to some important decisions, which played a valuable role in the development of the Airport. A new VOR DME equipment was bought and installed, along with the instruments for night flight and related "papis". The runway lenght was increased from 1000 to 1260 meters.

During years '90, the consortium was turned to a limited company; at the same time, several local private entrepreneurs and the Airport of Firenze joined the company.
During the following years, thanks to frequent and tight contacts with the relevant governmental Bodies (ENAC and ENAV), the Airport obtained the required approvals for activating the instrumental flight equipment.

Now, starting from 2000, the Airport of Siena is open, by night and day, to instrumental flight. This allowed a quantum leap both for commercial activities (charter, executive and scheduled flights) and for the so-called "humanitarian" flight (air ambulances and organs transportation).

Plan for infrastructural improvement

In 2003 the 1st improvement phase has been completed. Today the runway length is 1393 meters. After the implementation of the 2nd phase - planned from end 2007 to 2008 - its length will be increased to 1498 meters.

The parking area for aircrafts has already been enlarged, and the perimetral road around the Airport is now ready. This will improve the operational limits of the whole Airport's infrastructure.
The airport upgrading project has been integrated providing additional space at both runway ends in order to increase margins of safety for aircrafts.

For the safety of our passengers, a powerful bird strike system is now in operation and a new additional fire apparatus has been put in service.