Rebecca Manzi By 2025, 22 Italian airports will offer free bottle and container refills after security checks. An expansion of the initiative designed to reduce single-use plastic
By the end of 2025, travelers departing from Italian airports will finally be able to say goodbye to overpriced water from airport shops. At 22 airports associated with Assaeroporti, passengers will be able to refill bottles and reusable containers for free after security checks. This development involves the country’s main hubs, from Malpensa and Linate to Naples, Bologna, Cagliari, Turin, Olbia, and Alghero, where the service has already been active for some time.
The initiative, promoted by Assaeroporti, aims at a dual objective: improving the travel experience and concretely reducing the use of single-use plastic. It’s a response to numerous complaints about exorbitant prices for water and food items at airports, often significantly higher than normal retail prices.
Growing refill points: new terminals and access methods
Joining the refill pioneers are additional terminals like Bergamo, Palermo, and Cuneo, already operational, while Catania, Pisa, Florence, Trieste, Trapani, Pescara, Rimini, Comiso, and Salerno will complete the list by year’s end. Genoa and Grosseto have also joined the initiative, offering free drinking water to travelers, although with different modalities depending on the facilities.
The service is available only airside, meaning after security checks, and allows passengers to refill their reusable bottles with certified drinking water. It’s a measure as simple as it is effective, fitting into a path of ecological transition already underway at many Italian airports.
Sustainable travel is possible
With the new refill points, Italian airports are approaching European standards in sustainability and passenger services. According to Assaeroporti, this represents a concrete step toward terminals that are “people-friendly,” where comfort and environmental respect can finally coexist. A small revolution that starts with an everyday gesture: refilling your water bottle.
Source: Assaeroporti
