Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport – H.H. Prince Aga Khan IV 0 Comments

by Daniela Toti

As of 15 January 2026, Olbia–Costa Smeralda Airport officially bears the name of Karim Aga Khan. An honour that recognises the Prince’s decisive role in the birth and development of the Costa Smeralda, and in the creation of an airport infrastructure that today stands as one of Sardinia’s main gateways, essential to tourism and to the connectivity of the Gallura region.

President Todde stated: “The future does not come about by chance, but through precise choices, through people capable of seeing far ahead, and through institutions able to recognise their value.”

When the dark cloth slipped away, revealing the inscription “Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport – H.H. Prince Aga Khan IV”, a shiver ran across the forecourt. It was the shiver of memory. Within that name lies a story that began when Olbia had not yet known the development of today, and the Costa Smeralda was not a brand, but an untouched landscape.

Receiving the embrace of Gallura was Zahra Aga Khan, his daughter. With tearful eyes and a proud bearing, she offered the audience an intimate and disarming portrait of her father: not the prince of the jet set, but a pilot in love. “He was passionate about aircraft and technology. When we travelled here by helicopter, he was often the one flying it,” she recalled, breaking the formality of the ceremony with the strength of a personal memory.

“What He created on the Costa Smeralda,” the Princess explained, “was the first tourist development project in Europe planned by professionals with a central element: an architectural committee devoted to preserving nature. My father, His Highness, held deep respect for Sardinian traditions, from weaving to iron and woodwork, and valued the island’s unspoiled purity. I still remember the cows on the beach at Liscia Ruja, and the consortium teams forced to move them away. Finding a balance between development and protection was always his priority. Being here today, in this elegant building that serves as a showcase for Sardinian craftsmanship and gastronomy, is extraordinary. It is almost impossible to define the scope of his vision: worldwide, he created a healthcare system for six million patients, two hundred schools, two universities. There was no limit to what he envisioned, but it was always guided by a strict respect for nature.”

Finding a balance between development and protection was not a slogan, but a daily practice. It is no minor detail to remember that this vision was not always welcomed with enthusiasm. On the contrary, it was often opposed, slowed down, regarded with suspicion.

It is also for this reason that the words of Mayor Settimo Nizzi carried the tone of a belated restitution, almost the settling of a moral debt: “We had to give an answer to all this good. He was the only benefactor capable of bringing prosperity while safeguarding the environment. We will never be able to repay even a millionth of what he gave, but our presence here today is proof of how deeply we loved him.”

A recognition that perhaps arrives late, but one that carries the weight of a collective awakening. Because the Aga Khan’s true gift was not only the ability to see far ahead, but to see together: development and respect, modernity and the sacredness of the landscape.

To name Olbia’s airport after him today is to acknowledge that his vision was not a gamble, but a lesson.

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“To create a better place in physical terms means striving to bring values into environments, buildings and contexts that improve the quality of life for future generations.”
(Karim Aga Khan)