Olbia Airport will be named after Prince Karim Aga Khan IV
The Board of Directors of ENAC (National Civil Aviation Authority) has approved the official naming of Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport in memory of Prince Karim Aga Khan IV, recognizing his fundamental contribution to the economic, cultural and tourist development of Sardinia.
The decision follows the formal request of the Municipality of Olbia, which wanted to recall the decisive impact of the Aga Khan in the transformation of Gallura and the Costa Smeralda into one of the most exclusive and sought-after destinations in the Mediterranean. The Prince, a visionary and cosmopolitan figure, was the architect of an epochal change starting from the sixties.
In 1963 he founded Alisarda, an airline founded with the aim of connecting Sardinia to the rest of Europe, from which Meridiana and then Air Italy were later born. In addition, his commitment was crucial for the construction of Olbia airport, today one of the main international airports for general aviation and a strategic access point for tourism in Sardinia.
The naming procedure, in line with what happened for other important Italian airports – such as Milan Malpensa, recently named after President Silvio Berlusconi – was launched in accordance with Article 687 of the Navigation Code. ENAC, as the single authority for the technical regulation of air transport, therefore has the competence to formalize the change.
The Board of Directors has given a mandate to the acting Director General, who – once the assessments of the Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Matteo Salvini have been obtained, after consulting the institutions involved – will issue the official order for the new name of the airport, informing all interested parties and instructing the airport management company to adapt communications and facilities to the future naming.
This naming is not only a symbolic recognition, but also a tribute to the entrepreneurial and humanistic vision of Prince Karim Aga Khan IV, who with his work has projected Sardinia onto the international scene, helping to make it an iconic destination for quality tourism.
