Italy’s Riviera Airport is celebrating its 100th anniversary with the publication of a book entitled “Cento Anni al Volo” (“100 Years in Flight”), chronicling the airport’s history over the past century. A special event marking the milestone will take place at the airport on February 16.
Situated in Villanova d’Albenga, in Savona, the airport is located at the intersection of three countries, Italy, France, and Monaco. Originally named after Clemente Panero, a World War I hero, the airport initially served as a military airbase but became a civilian airport after World War II. In the late 1970s, it expanded into the freight sector. In 2016, business aviation and helicopters became the target clientele, with the UAE’s Hadid International Services taking over the site’s FBO management as Hadid Riviera in 2021.
“We want to invest, build hangars, and transform this location into a major hub for general and private aviation,” said Clemens Toussaint, a shareholder and v-p of Riviera Airport. “There is significant traffic from private jets on the Italian and French Riviera, so we want to position ourselves as an alternative. We intend to position the airport as the ‘gateway to Monaco,’ taking advantage of the proximity and the short flight time to the principality by helicopter.”