The Italian island of Sardinia and its elite Costa Smeralda (Emerald Coast) resort area are not well known in North America, except perhaps to yachting and sailboat racing enthusiasts. But for four months of the high season (June through September), the newly renamed and refurbished Eccelsa (Italian for “Excellence”) general aviation handling facility at Olbia Airport (LIEO/OLB) handles some 85 percent of its annual throughput of 8,000 aircraft. With Eccelsa’s significant Middle Eastern clientele, those aircraft frequently include VIP Boeings–BBJs, 777s and 747s. On peak days, Eccelsa can see 140 aircraft movements, with as many as 60 aircraft on its ramp and apron at a time.
Within the past few years, development of general aviation in the Costa Smeralda area has taken some huge strides–both in facility development and recognition from local authorities and business developers. Eccelsa general manager Francesco Cossu told AIN, “People had to be convinced that the number of passengers on board an airplane isn’t necessarily the most important measure of how much it means to the local economy.”
In this article
More In FBOs
