Naples Airport (NAP) Flights & Flight Status

The Aeroporto di Napoli-Capodichino Ugo Niutta is named after the revered Italian World War I pilot, Ugo Niutta. While it sounds like a great honour to have an airport named after you, when it’s Napoli’s small, underserviced and overworked travel hub, I’m not quite so sure.

On the other hand, it is the gateway airport to some of Italy’s most gorgeous areas – Sorrento, the Amalfi Coast, and the islands of Ischia and Capri to name just a few. No amount of queuing or standing is bad enough to forego visiting any of them. And if you know what to expect, I’ve found Capodichino to provide a simple if not super comfortable travel experience, depending on the time of year.

Airlines serving Naples Airport

Italy’s fourth busiest airport is a minnow in comparison to the behemoths in Rome and Milan. Yet in 2023, it still managed to squeeze close to 12.5 million passengers through its single public terminal. Regularly catering to them are 40 or so airlines, flying to around 115 destinations both domestic and international. Naples is a highly seasonal airport and around half of all scheduled flights operate only in peak travel periods. This means it can be deserted in colder months and absolutely heaving at the height of summer.

Thanks to its size, the low-cost carriers are king. EasyJet, Ryanair, Wizz Air and Spanish budget operator Volotea dominate the schedules covering destinations mostly within Europe. Yet Naples also offers routes to the Middle East and the fringes of North Africa. North America is catered to via Delta and United for the eastern US and, opening in 2025, Air Canada’s new route to Montreal.

Getting to and from Naples and Campania

Although it sits just under four miles northeast of Naples proper, the airport is located in the district of Capodichino, which is where the other part of its name comes from. While it’s not on the rail network, its proximity to the city makes it quick, cheap and easy to get to and from.

Shuttle bus

Alibus is the dedicated shuttle ferrying passengers not only to the city centre but also to the port for onward travel to Sorrento, Ischia, Capri and other amazing Mediterranean destinations. It takes around 15 minutes to the central station and 35 minutes to the port with a few stops en route. Buses depart every ten or so minutes during main airport hours and tickets are inexpensive, available in Arrivals or at the bus stop.

Happily there’s a dedicated port road system meaning the Alibus bypasses much of the nightmare traffic (for which Naples is renowned). If you’re travelling further, there’s a raft of bus and coach companies serving destinations far and wide, from Pompei to Positano. All buses depart and arrive directly in front of the terminal. Thanks to its seasonality, buses can be very hit and miss. Their regularity eases congestion, but in the summer months things can get very busy.

Taxi

With the city so close, it’s well worth considering a taxi or private transfer to avoid potential queues at the bus stop. Located directly outside arrivals, rides have flat rate fares for Naples city centre as well as other major tourist points like Pompei. Prices include luggage charges (fast becoming an outrageous norm at airports across Europe) but don’t include motorway tolls.

You can also opt for a shared taxi, or ‘taxi collettivo’ for a fixed price into the city, that will likely work out cheaper than a private taxi unless there are four of you travelling. Shared taxis depart from next to the roundabout on Viale Fulco Ruffo di Calabria, opposite the local police station, which is definitely more hassle to get to. They depart a maximum of 15 minutes after the first three passengers have boarded, so you may have to wait.

Car hire

For stays in Naples, avoid renting a car at all costs as the city is congested and chaotic behind the wheel. If you’re travelling further, especially to explore the epic Amalfi Coast, a car is a must. The only rental agent with a desk in arrivals is Sixt.

For all other rentals, you’ll need to take the free shuttle to the dedicated rental area – a pain but also a cost saving. Shuttles depart from in front of arrivals every 15 minutes or so but take about three minutes. While it’s only 700 metres from terminal to rental centre, it’s not really walkable due to the road layout. Here you’ll find a huge range of rental companies and price points from international to hyper local. My default is Drivalia, but I certainly haven’t tried them all.

If you’re heading to the Amalfi region, my advice would be to bypass car rental at the airport. Instead, take the ferry to Sorrento and rent something a little special to really savour the experience. On a recent birthday I rented a convertible vintage Alfa Romeo and it was worth every cent for the joy it gave us over a run-of-the-mill rental.

Navigating the airport

The single two-storey public terminal (there’s a smaller second terminal for charter flights) is almost crescent shaped. A compact curving corridor, it stretches from arrivals on the far left as you enter to departures on the right. It’s simple and easy to navigate, unless the crowds are in full force in which case it’s packed and short on space.

Both arrivals and the departures check-in area are on the ground floor. During peak season and its fringes – from mid April to October – check in can be a nightmare in a space not designed to handle such big crowds. During these times, do everything you can to avoid checking luggage. If it’s unavoidable, give yourself a couple of hours and go prepared with things to keep you and your family entertained. Headphones are a great way to block out the din.

Security is another sore point, renowned for queues and frayed tempers. Many passengers complain about disinterested and unhelpful security staff, but I’ve never experienced it myself. At the time of writing, Naples Airport doesn’t use new 3D security scanners so expect the usual faffing and queues as people wrestle with laptops and liquids.

Bags dropped and security cleared, head upstairs where you’ll find the main Departures A area, shops and restaurants. Downstairs airside are areas B and C, the latter used for flights to Non-Schengen destinations. It takes mere minutes to get from any one area to another but can take longer to get to planes as there aren’t any jet bridges from gates.

Shopping, eating and entertainment

Naples is not one of those big and airy airports. Despite several refurbs and expansions, it doesn’t feel modern and isn’t well designed. Low ceilings, awkward spaces and a dearth of seating – especially at some gates – are emblematic of the problems it suffers. When busy it’s a claustrophobic and cloying space littered with human debris. In summer months it’s made worse by an aircon system that’s either unfit for purpose or just switched off much of the time.

There is however a great range of places to shop and eat. This is Italy so the cafés serve excellent (but expensive) coffee and there’s always a decent slice of pizza in close reach. Recently opened on the ground floor of departures, Antonino Il Banco di Cannavacciuolo serves tasty Neapolitan street food and pastries. My highlight is Marennà Assaggi on the first floor, serving local and regional dishes with a great selection of wines. And I’m always a sucker for the bufala mozzarella at Fattorie Garofalo.

If you have a few euros to spend, there are many Italian labels vying for your attention, from handmade leather goods at Coccinelle to high fashion at Fracomina via the usual sunglasses and sportswear. For gifts, I like the vintage pasta tins at Di Martino – a concept store dedicated to pasta in its apparently endless shapes, colours and formats.

Lounging and sleeping

Naples Airport has one lounge, which is of course called the VIP Lounge. Opinions vary! It’s by far the nicest space in the airport and has okay buffet food (though not as good as you’ll find in Marennà Assaggi), comfy seats and faster WiFi.

Up until October 2024 you could only buy the unreasonably expensive tickets directly at the lounge. This meant in busy seasons that usually involved a one-in-one-out queue that defeated the object of going. It seems that going forward you’ll now be able to book online in advance, which should improve the experience dramatically.

The lounge is open from 5 am until just 9 pm. The reason for this is that Naples isn’t a 24-hour airport and closes between 10.30 pm and 3.30 am. This means you can’t sleep there if you’re on an early flight, although if you’re already in the airport there’s a chance you may not be asked to leave. If you are, you can always grab a sleeping pod at the Benbo Capsule Hotel nearby, chargeable by the hour!