Adani Group is stepping up its international airport ambitions, with Adani Airport Holdings among the shortlisted bidders for a majority stake in Sicily’s main airport and signalling a selective approach to further overseas opportunities, including potential interest in the UK.
Adani Airport Holdings has advanced to the second phase of the privatisation process for Società Aeroporto Catania (SAC), which operates Catania-Fontanarossa Airport — Sicily’s busiest and Italy’s fifth-largest by passenger traffic — along with the smaller Comiso airport. The process involves the sale of at least a 51% stake (potentially up to 66%). Ten international operators and investors, including Vinci Airports, Royal Schiphol Group, Mundys, Corporación América Airports and others, cleared the initial screening in July 2026.
In a recent interview with the Financial Times, Jeet Adani, who oversees the airports business, confirmed the Sicily bid and said the company would now “very selectively” pursue other opportunities “of size and relevance.” The group’s overseas interest comes alongside reports of exploration of UK assets (notably in the ports sector via Associated British Ports), marking potential first steps into the British market.
Domestically, Adani remains focused on aggressive growth. The company recently secured approximately $1 billion in equity investment from a consortium including BlackRock, Temasek, Alpha Wave Global and Premji Invest, valuing the airport business at around $18 billion. Funds will support capacity expansion at its existing eight Indian airports (targeting 200 million annual passengers from the current ~120 million over five years), modernisation, and development of integrated “Airport City” projects spanning millions of square feet of mixed-use real estate. Adani also plans to participate in the upcoming privatisation of 11 more Indian airports under long-term PPP leases and is evaluating greenfield opportunities.
Currently operating only in India, Adani Airports has rapidly become the country’s largest private airport operator. The combination of domestic scale-up and selective international forays positions the group for broader global infrastructure growth.
