2015 September 3 – Starting on December 16, Fiumicino will inaugurate two new direct flights to Guangzhou and Wuhan, China (among the richest and with the highest growth rates cities in China). The new flights came into being thanks to the collaboration agreement signed between Rome Airport and China Southern Airlines, to create new opportunities for economic and cultural exchange between Italy and the Asian country. For China Southern Airlines, the airport in Rome will become the first active destination in southern Europe, while Rome Fiumicino is now the only airport in the EU to host all five of the largest Chinese airlines with direct flights. The new connections, available three times a week, will help increase the volume of passenger traffic between Rome and Asia, which is already growing steadily. Between January and August 2015, passenger traffic between the airport of Rome Fiumicino and Asia increased by 12% over the previous year. In the same period, the number of passengers who traveled between Fiumicino and China increased by 10%, with a further acceleration recorded between April and August 2015 (+16%). More generally, in January-August 2015 Fiumicino and Ciampino confirmed their growth trends, for an overall 7% increase.
