LIDO DI VENEZIA "G. Nicelli"

The airport "G.Nicelli" of San Nicolò at Lido di Venezia is one of the oldest airports of Italy and in fact from here departed the first-ever paying passenger of the Italian aviation history.
Important from the First World War on with the close by hydro-airport Saint Andrea, it had a relevant development of Line traffic between the two World Wars and again during the same period, did became famous for some editions of the "Coppa Schneider" for waterplanes.
Before and after the Second World War it was also base of the Officine Aeronavali, transferred in the beginning of the seventies to "Marco Polo" Venice-Tessera and was used for line flights of LAI and Alitalica until 1960. Today the main user is the local Aeroclub of Venice "G. Ancillotto" and is open to intensive seasonal touristy traffic also international. Finally it sees possible future development as supplementary commuter airport for "Marco Polo", thanks to a series of re-qualification projects like asphalting the runway during the corse of 2002, restauration of the historical airstation and the movement of the Aeroclub hangar.
Inside the airport complex are also present the restored structures of the Officine Aeronavali, now owned by Sorlini ltd., specialized in aeronautical revisions.