The Port System Authority of the Sea of Sicily Orientale announced that in the first half of 2025 in the ports of Augusta, Catania, Syracuse and Pozzallo administered by the traffic of goods and cruise passengers recorded a increase of +50% compared to the first six months of last year. The significant growth was generated thanks also to the entry in the port system of the port of Syracuse with the roadstead of S. Panagia, an airport that has entered the district of the Port Authority in March 2024. In particular, the first half of this year saw a consolidated increase in overall cargo volumes of +50.8% due in large part to the contribution provided by the airport Syracuse on tons of liquid bulk cargo. Syracuse, in fact, in the first half of the year, it contributed 6.7 million tonnes to a total of 16,534,176 tons of liquid products. Even though concerns dry bulk cargo, the increase in the first half of the year was equal to almost +14% mainly due to the increase provided by the port of Pozzallo which in the first six months of 2025 counted about 265 thousand tons of dry bulk cargo, while Augusta is affected by important reorganization works of the quay areas with setting up new terminals.

The number of cruise passengers, which has doubled compared to the first mid-2024, it has risen thanks not only to the entry of the airport of Arezzo, but also to a +35% marked by the airport Catania.

With regard to the container terminal, which from March 2024 has been moved from Catania to Augusta ( of 25 March 2024), there was a significant increase in of traffic by +27.9% to which the port of Pozzallo with about 5 thousand TEUs.

"Despite the presence of numerous construction sites, extraordinary maintenance and works in progress, which clearly limit the spaces for port activities - underlined the president of the Port Authority, Francesco Di Sarcina - the figures confirm an excellent health condition, the result of a strong reorganization that has been given to the airports and a synergy between them put in place thanks to the annexation under a single body of management. This means centrality in trade of the port network of eastern Sicily which, in the national scene, now offers a significant contribution to the country system".