Venice Airport Advances 2030 Net-Zero Roadmap With EIB Financing for Energy and Resilience Projects

EIB

(IN BRIEF) The European Investment Bank has signed an €80 million financing agreement with Milione S.p.A., the parent company of SAVE S.p.A., to support energy-efficiency and sustainability investments at Venice Marco Polo Airport. The programme includes the electrification of airport operations, around 500 electric-vehicle charging points, more than 20 zero-emission vehicles, renewable electricity generation, digital and cybersecurity upgrades, improved waste management and stormwater treatment. The project is expected to create around 1,000 temporary jobs during implementation and supports Venice Airport’s goal of reaching net-zero emissions by 2030.

(PRESS RELEASE) LUXEMBOURG, 6-Jul-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — The European Investment Bank has agreed €80 million in financing for investments designed to improve energy efficiency, decarbonisation and operational resilience at Venice Marco Polo Airport.

The funding has been provided to Milione S.p.A., the parent company of SAVE S.p.A., which manages Venice Marco Polo Airport. The agreement was signed in Rome by Jean-Christophe Laloux, Director General and Head of EU Lending and Advisory at the EIB, and Giovanni Curtolo, Chief Financial Officer of Milione S.p.A. and SAVE S.p.A.

The investment programme will support the airport’s pathway towards net-zero emissions by 2030. Planned measures include the electrification of airport operations, the development of lower-emission infrastructure, expanded renewable electricity generation and improvements to digital systems and cybersecurity.

The programme will also provide for the installation of around 500 charging points for electric vehicles and the acquisition of more than 20 zero-emission vehicles. These investments are intended to reduce emissions from airport ground operations and strengthen the airport’s ability to manage a more sustainable transport and logistics environment.

In addition to electrification measures, the project will support upgrades to information technology systems and operational infrastructure. The investments are designed to improve the airport’s resilience, including its ability to respond to increasingly frequent and severe weather-related events.

Environmental measures will include enhanced waste-management systems and improvements to stormwater treatment. Given Venice Airport’s location in a sensitive lagoon environment, these works are intended to reduce environmental impacts while improving the long-term reliability of critical airport infrastructure.

The investment programme does not involve an increase in the airport’s passenger-handling capacity.

The project is also expected to support local employment during implementation, with around 1,000 temporary jobs anticipated across construction, installation and related activities.

Venice Marco Polo Airport handled 11.8 million passengers in 2025 and serves as the principal hub of the Northeast Airport System managed by the SAVE Group. In June 2026, Airports Council International Europe recognised the airport as the Best Airport in Europe in the 10 million to 25 million passenger category.

Jean-Christophe Laloux said airports need to invest in technologies and infrastructure that reduce their environmental footprint while helping ensure reliable operations.

“Airports today need to accelerate investment to make concrete reductions in their environmental footprint and strengthen the resilience of their infrastructure,” Laloux said. “With this financing, the EIB is supporting a transformation pathway that combines energy efficiency, decarbonisation and innovation, helping to align the sector with Europe’s climate objectives.”

Giovanni Curtolo said sustainability is central to the SAVE Group’s approach to managing Venice Airport and its wider airport network.

“The SAVE Group has long placed sustainability—in all its dimensions and forms—at the heart of the operations of Venice Airport and all the airports it manages,” Curtolo said. “Our strong focus on environmental issues is particularly significant given the sensitive lagoon environment in which Venice Airport operates.”

The SAVE Group estimates that Venice Marco Polo Airport supports approximately 24,000 direct, indirect and induced jobs and contributes around €1.2 billion to GDP through its role in the regional economy.

The EIB Group

The European Investment Bank (EIB) Group is the financing arm of the European Union, owned by the 27 Member States, and one of the largest multilateral development banks in the world. In 2025, the EIB Group signed €100 billion in new financing and advisory services for over 870 high-impact projects under eight core priorities that support EU policy objectives: climate action and the environment, digitalisation and technological innovation, security and defence, territorial cohesion, agriculture and the bioeconomy, social infrastructure, strong global partnerships and the savings and investments union. In Italy, the EIB Group signed 105 new financing agreements totalling €12.3 billion in 2025. Beyond long-term loans for large infrastructure, the EIB Group crowds in private investment for high-risk innovative projects and businesses, with a growing role in Europe’s markets for venture debt, venture capital, guarantees and securitisations. The European Investment Fund (EIF) is the EIB Group subsidiary specialised in guarantees and equity. Its specific role is to improve access to finance for small and medium-sized businesses and startups across Europe. Acting as an anchor investor through its extensive network of partner banks and investment funds, the EIF mobilises private investment and nurtures the venture capital fund ecosystem to support innovative European entrepreneurs.

Gruppo SAVE

Founded in 1987, SAVE is the holding company of a group primarily active in airport management. The Group operates the Northeast Airport System, which includes the airports of Venice, Treviso, Verona, and Brescia, and also holds a stake in the management of Belgium’s Charleroi Airport.

Through an integrated and synergistic approach across its airports, SAVE promotes the development of infrastructure, connectivity, and passenger services, with a strong focus on sustainability, innovation, and the quality of the travel experience.

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SOURCE: European Investment Bank