Ancona International Airport (AIA), a Njord Partners portfolio company, has announced the appointment of Giorgio Buffa as Chief Executive Officer, effective 13 October 2025. Buffa brings over 20 years of global aviation experience, most recently serving as Senior Operations Manager at Doha’s Hamad International Airport, repeatedly ranked the World’s Best Airport by Skytrax.

A former Alitalia and Air One pilot, Buffa has held senior operational leadership roles across Europe, including Head of Airport Operations at Trapani Airport. His tenure at Hamad International saw him oversee complex operational challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic and major events such as the FIFA World Cup, while driving innovations in sustainable airport development.

He succeeds Alex D’Orsogna, newly appointed General Director of ENAC (Italian Civil Aviation Authority). Under D’Orsogna’s leadership, AIA achieved record growth in freight and passenger traffic and advanced key infrastructure initiatives, positioning Ancona as a leading logistics and transport hub in Italy.

Buffa’s appointment comes amid an ambitious phase of transformation for AIA, which includes plans for a new MRO facility, a spaceport for suborbital flights, and a vertiport for VTOL aircraft. The airport is also set to benefit from the opening of Amazon’s largest logistics hub in Italy, and the second largest in Europe, located just 6km away.

“AIA has immense potential as an intermodal transport hub,” said Buffa. “I look forward to building on our progress and driving sustainable growth for the Marche Region and beyond.”

Read the full article to learn how Ancona International Airport is advancing innovation, intermodal connectivity, and sustainable growth under new leadership.