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Data source: OurAirports (2026-09-01 Snapshot) · Methodology & Verification →

Venice Marco Polo Airport

Compiled by Bill Gao

Venezia (VE), Veneto (Italy)

IATA: VCE ICAO: LIPZ

Longest Active Runway

10,827 ft

3,300 meters

Field Elevation

7 ft

2 m MSL

Runway Inventory

2 active

Lighted / Paved

Coordinates & Class

45.5053°, 12.3519°

LARGE AIRPORT

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Multi-Universe Rankings & Statistical Standing

How ranks work →

RunwayFacts Published Dataset

tied #401 of 650

In curated primary commercial index

Global Commercial Universe

#655 of 7558

Top 8.7% percentile worldwide

For airports with equal runway length, the worldwide order does not indicate a length difference.

National Standing (Italy)

tied #4 of 9 in IT

same length as TRN · #5 of 50 in full national registry

vs Large Airport Median

+8.3%

Compared to 10,000 ft baseline

💡 VCE in numbers: 10,827 ft longest runway · tied #401 of 650 published · #655 of 7,558 worldwide (top 8.7%) · tied #4 in Italy.

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Editorial Aerodrome Deep Dive: Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE)

Curated Aerodrome Profile

Venice Marco Polo Airport combines commercial heavy-transport functionality with a fragile coastal lagoon ecosystem. The 10,827 ft primary runway 04R/22L handles transcontinental summer flights to North America and the Middle East, while parallel 04L/22R acts as a departure reliever and taxiway buffer. High ambient humidity in the Po valley basin demands CAT IIIb all-weather autoland capabilities during winter radiation fog.

Runway Layout & Magnetic Alignments

Dual parallel runways: primary 04R/22L (10,827 ft / 3,300 m) and closely spaced secondary 04L/22R (9,121 ft / 2,780 m).

Expansion Milestones & Predecessor Facilities

Inaugurated in 1961 on the edge of the Venetian Lagoon, replacing the cramped historical Venice Lido airfield. Named after legendary Venetian merchant Marco Polo; completed extensive terminal and apron upgrades in 2017.

Regional Differentiation & Cluster Role

Premier international long-haul aerodrome in Northeast Italy, complementing Treviso Airport (TSF, 11 NM north) which caters strictly to ultra-low-cost point-to-point traffic.

Data Nuances & Operational Quirks

Directly borders marine lagoon waters at 7 ft MSL; airport infrastructure includes specialized dock facilities for water taxi transfers to central Venice and aquatic emergency rescue craft.

📚 Official Aerodrome Sourcing: Ente Nazionale per l'Aviazione Civile (ENAC) · ENAV Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP Italia)

Verification Methodology →

🔬 Operational & Aerodrome Engineering Comparative Analysis

Longest runway ≥10,500 ft

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Elevation & National Context

Lowland Aerodrome (<2,000 ft)

VCE lies at 2 m (7 ft), #637 of 650 published airports by elevation and 2 percentile among 7,558 worldwide. It is 58 ft below the Italy median (65 ft, 9 airports); TRN is highest at 989 ft, 982 ft higher than VCE.

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Regional Density & Alternates (100 NM)

2 Qualifying Aerodromes in Vicinity

Closest of 2 paved-runway (≥5,000 ft) neighbours within 100 NM: Verona Villafranca Valerio Catullo Airport (VRN), 62 NM, 10,064 ft. Next: LJU 98 NM. VCE ties with LJU for the longest runway in this radius (10,827 ft).

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Runway Inventory & National Standing

Primary Runway: 10,827 ft (3,300 m)

VCE runways: 04R/22L 10,827 × 148 ft asphalt (asp); 04L/22R 9,121 × 148 ft asphalt (asp). National standing: tied #4 of 9 in Italy with TRN at 10,827 ft; MXP leads by 2,034 ft (12,861 ft). +8.3% vs the 10,000 ft baseline.

🛫 Physical Runway Inventory & Surface Engineering

Runway Designator	Length (ft / m)	Width (ft / m)	Surface Material	Lighting	Status
04R/22L	10,827 ft (3300 m / 3.300 km)	148 ft (45m)	`Asphalt (ASP)`	✅ Lighted	✅ Active
04L/22R	9,121 ft (2780 m / 2.780 km)	148 ft (45m)	`Asphalt (ASP)`	✅ Lighted	✅ Active

🧭 Comparative Aerodromes (100 NM Radius, ≥5,000 ft Paved)

Great-circle Haversine spatial proximity matching for commercial facilities with paved runway capacity within 100 NM.

Aerodrome Name	IATA	Distance	Longest Runway	Lighting
Verona Villafranca Valerio Catullo Airport (Caselle (VR))	`VRN`	62 NM (114.8 km)	10,064 ft	✅ Lighted
Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport (Zgornji Brnik)	`LJU`	98 NM (181.5 km)	10,827 ft	✅ Lighted

🛡️ Source: OurAirports Open Aviation Database, snapshot 2026-09-01 · Provenance →