Barelli MSFS Addon has recently released their rendition of Rome-Ciampino International Airport (LIRA) for Microsoft Flight Simulator, the secondary international airport of Rome, averaging 5 million passengers per year.

Ciampino is one of the oldest airports in operation, dating back to 1916. It was the airport of choice for Umberto Nobile on his expedition to the North Pole ten years after the airport’s opening with the airship Norge. It was the first aircraft to reach the north pole and fly across the polar ice cap from Europe to North America. Four years later, Ciampino was the testing ground for the first helicopter prototype, designed by Corradino D’Ascanio. 

Captured by the USAF during late World War 2, it became a USAF military airfield, used as a transport air base by C-47 Skytrains, and temporarily flying A-36 Apaches right after its capture from the German forces.

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Before the opening of Fiumicino, Ciampino was Rome’s main airport, with an average of 2 million passengers a year. It saw its darkest age during the next couple of decades after Fiumicino’s opening, handling only charter and executive traffic until low-cost carriers embraced it in the early 2000s. It went from stagnation to one of the fastest-growing airports in Italy, with a whopping 16.75% increase from 2005 to 2006 and 9% from 2006 to 2007, sitting at that 5 million ballpark up until recently (with an apparent drop during the pandemic).

It’s a hub for the low-cost giant Ryanair, with thirty-two European destinations. WizzAir is also a frequent visitor, with six destinations. 

The scenery features a high-detail terminal with custom ground markings, custom ground clutter, a detailed parking lot, landside buildings, and more.

It’s available on SimMarket for roughly $18.27, requiring at least 1.2 GB of free hard disk space to install.

Stay tuned to Threshold for more flight simulation news!

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