The choice of container traffic transfer from Catania to Augusta, which took place in March last year ( of 25 March 2024), confirms itself as a winner and strategic. It has underlined the Port System Authority of the Sea of Eastern Sicily, the body that manages both airports as well as the ports of Syracuse and Pozzallo, announcing that already in the first quarter of 2025, a significant increase in containerized traffic which is result of 18,936 TEUs, with an increase of +21.6% on the former four months of last year.

"It is - observed the president of the Port Authority - Francesco Di Sarcina - of signs of market liveliness, although still initial. Among other things, it is necessary to take into account the negative contingencies of this historical moment and the tensions in the Mediterranean basin area, due to wars. The Authority port is investing heavily in the revival of this port and the movement of containers from Catania to Augusta, which presents more spaces and structures and better backdrops, conceived with the aim of growth in the sector. Today, in After just over a year, we are already collecting the first fruits and I am sure the improvements in the coming times will be far clearer and more evident."

Di Sarcina pointed out that in the meantime the work continues for the construction of the new trapezoidal terminal, which was an eternal unfinished and which will finally guarantee further 120,000 square meters: "It's news these days - explained - that RFI has started the executive design of the railway connection that will bring goods directly to the trains; to this is added a valuable work of updating and digitization of processes involving containers with the reconstruction of the port gate, in which one lane will be dedicated exclusively to containers. We met a series of resistance and difficulties but I am very satisfied with the results and the extraordinary work of the Port Authority offices". In addition, the control point will also be completed which has been reactivated for the occasion, whose structures are being defined. Di Sarcina underlined whereas these are a series of projects that amount to a total of 180 million euros, in the process of completion by next December, which will make it possible to accelerate the relaunch of the Augustan airport.

Antonio Pandolfo, general manager and sales director of Europe Servizi Terminalistici (EST), the company that manages the traffic of the container in the port of Augusta, expressed satisfaction with the results of the first four months of 2025, "above all - specified - in the light of the transfer from Catania to Augusta. We look with great interest - he added - at the completion of the new terminal that will give a further boost to the development of Trades. Among our continuous investments is a New 150-ton hybrid crane that will increase the current equipment, bringing it to a total of four port cranes".