Comiso Airport Guide: Arrivals, Ragusa Ibla, Modica and Noto

Comiso Airport, officially named after Pio La Torre, is the closest airport to Ragusa Ibla, Modica and Scicli. It sits about 5 km from Comiso and about 15 km from Ragusa, so a private transfer to Ragusa Ibla takes approximately 30 to 40 minutes in normal traffic, and Modica 35 to 45 minutes. The terminal is small and quick to leave. What deserves planning is the flight schedule, the meeting point and how the car reaches a hotel inside a historic centre.

At a glance

• One terminal, managed by SAC, the company that also runs Catania Airport. Arrivals and car rental desks are on the ground floor.
• SAC's service charter for Comiso gives terminal opening hours of 07:00 to 23:00. Verify with the operator for the current season.
• Routes are mostly domestic and seasonal. From October 2026 the Sicilian Region funds twelve months of Aeroitalia flights to Pisa, Naples, Venice and Malta.
• Indicative drive times: Ragusa Ibla 30 to 40 minutes, Modica 35 to 45 minutes, Scicli 45 to 55 minutes, Noto 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes.
• Ragusa Ibla has a limited traffic zone. Tell whoever meets you the exact hotel address, not only the town.

Comiso Airport in brief

Comiso began as a military airfield in the 1930s and was a NATO base from 1983 to 1991. It opened to commercial traffic on 30 May 2013 and was renamed in 2014 after Pio La Torre, the Sicilian politician killed by the Mafia in 1982. Today it is run by SAC, which describes itself in its service charter as the operator of both Catania and Comiso airports.

The building is compact. According to Travel Extra's airport guide, arrivals and check-in are on the ground floor and departures and gates on the upper level. SAC's charter places the car rental counters in the arrivals area, with rental cars collected at Park A, the long-stay car park about 150 metres from the terminal. Park B, the short-stay car park, is described as adjacent to the building.

For arrivals and onward journeys across the south-east, see our Comiso Airport chauffeur service.

Flights and timing: what to check before you book

Comiso's schedule is thinner than Catania's, and it changes with the season. On 4 September 2026 the Sicilian Region announced that Aeroitalia, winner of a regional tender, would operate flights from Comiso for twelve months from October: Pisa, Naples and Venice twice a week each, plus a new international link with Malta. Summer adds further seasonal routes. Check the airline's own timetable before planning around a specific day.

The terminal hours matter more here than at a large airport. With the building listed as open from 07:00 to 23:00 and only a few movements a day, the arrivals area can empty quickly after the last flight. Share your flight number when you book, so the pick-up follows the actual landing time rather than the scheduled one.

If no flight suits your dates, Catania is the natural alternative. Online route planners estimate approximately 1 hour 35 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes from Catania Airport to Ragusa or Modica, longer in heavy traffic. Our guide to Catania Airport arrivals and meeting points covers that side of the island, and our Trapani Airport guide the far west.

At the kerb: meeting point and road rules

Baggage reclaim leads into the ground-floor arrivals area, and its exit is the simplest place to meet. Agree it in writing with whoever collects you, together with a mobile contact.

Here is a detail most generic airport pages miss. At Catania, traffic on the airport's internal roads is regulated by a dedicated ENAC ordinance, the most recent being ordinance 01/2026 of 29 May 2026. For Comiso, the ordinances published by ENAC's Eastern Sicily directorate from 2023 to 2026 cover the airport emergency plan (ordinance 01/2025 of 14 March 2025) and vehicle access for fire service and ENAV staff (ordinance 06/2024), but we found no comparable landside traffic ordinance. In practice this means the rules at the kerb are those shown on site by the operator's signage, and they can change. The kerb is meant to stay clear, so a car meeting a passenger generally waits in the short-stay car park beside the terminal, a few steps from the door. Verify current arrangements with SAC.

By road, SAC lists two main access routes: the SS 514 Ragusa-Catania road and the provincial road SP 5 towards Vittoria.

Drive times to Ragusa Ibla, Modica, Scicli and Noto

These are prudent estimates for a private car in normal traffic, based on route planner data and travel guides:

• Ragusa Ibla: approximately 30 to 40 minutes.
• Modica: approximately 35 to 45 minutes, for about 37 km.
• Scicli: approximately 45 to 55 minutes.
• Noto: approximately 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes, for about 70 km by the usual route.

The last part of each journey takes longer than the open road suggests. Ragusa Ibla is a limited traffic zone, and the Comune di Ragusa allows an online declaration for temporary access in cases that include loading and unloading luggage, according to Quotidiano di Ragusa. Rules on permits have been under review, so ask your hotel how cars reach the door. In Modica, the old town climbs from Modica Bassa in the valley to Modica Alta on the hill, and the lanes are steep and narrow, so check with your hotel where the car can stop.

For Noto, also compare flights into Catania: see our Catania Airport to Noto route and our Noto city page.

Where to stay, dine and what to see

The towns around Comiso are part of the Late Baroque Towns of the Val di Noto, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2002 together with Noto, Catania, Caltagirone, Militello in Val di Catania and Palazzolo Acreide.

In Ragusa Ibla, the Duomo di San Giorgio closes Piazza Duomo at the top of a steep staircase. It was designed by Rosario Gagliardi in 1738 and completed in 1775. Locanda Don Serafino, on Via XI Febbraio, is an eleven-room boutique hotel set across several baroque buildings, and its restaurant holds one star in the 2026 Michelin Guide. In Ragusa, Duomo, the restaurant of chef Ciccio Sultano, holds two stars.

In Modica, Casa Talia is a group of restored stone houses with eight rooms in the old Jewish quarter, listed by the Michelin Guide. The Duomo di San Giorgio stands above a long staircase that descends towards Modica Bassa. On Corso Umberto I, the Antica Dolceria Bonajuto, founded in 1880 as Caffè Roma, is one of the historic names of Modica chocolate.

Towards the sea, Votavota in Marina di Ragusa holds one Michelin star, as does Crocifisso in Noto. Scicli, smaller and quieter, rewards an unhurried walk past the Church of San Giovanni Evangelista and Palazzo Beneventano, with the hill of San Matteo above the town. For a day across several towns, our private tours are built on request.

Frequently asked questions

Is Comiso or Catania better for Ragusa and Modica?

Comiso is much closer, at approximately 30 to 45 minutes from either town. Catania has far more flights, especially in winter, but adds roughly an hour of driving.

Is Comiso Airport open at night?

SAC's service charter lists the terminal as open from 07:00 to 23:00. Check the current hours with the operator if your flight is due late in the evening.

Can a car drive into Ragusa Ibla?

Ibla is a limited traffic zone. Temporary access can be declared online for reasons that include luggage, according to local press reports. Ask your hotel how arrivals are handled.

Is there a flight between Malta and Comiso?

The Sicilian Region announced a Malta route operated by Aeroitalia as part of a twelve-month programme starting in October 2026. Verify days and times with the airline.

Travelling with GIORIZZ

GIORIZZ meets arrivals at Comiso with our own chauffeurs and Mercedes-Benz fleet, for a direct transfer to Ragusa Ibla, Modica or Noto, or a chauffeur-driven day across the baroque towns at your own pace. English is guaranteed on every service, and other languages are available on request. Request a quote or explore our Comiso Airport service and our hourly chauffeur service.