Bologna sits at the centre of Italy’s Motor Valley and its packaging machinery industry. Ducati builds its motorcycles in Borgo Panigale, close to the airport, and Lamborghini is at Sant’Agata Bolognese, while Ferrari’s Maranello factory is about an hour away by car. The city’s packaging and automation companies supply manufacturers around the world. BolognaFiere hosts some of Europe’s leading trade fairs, including Cosmoprof, Cersaie and the Bologna Children’s Book Fair. The University of Bologna, founded in 1088, is one of the oldest in the world. Visitors stay for the food (mortadella, tortellini, tagliatelle al ragù), the arcaded streets listed by UNESCO and the Two Towers.
During fair weeks, flying privately avoids crowded trains and fully booked flights. Bologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport (BLQ) lies about 6 km north-west of the city centre, with a single 2,800-metre runway that suits everything from light jets to long-range cabins. The exhibition grounds are about 20 minutes by car, and the Marconi Express monorail connects the airport to Bologna Centrale. Modena and Maranello are within an hour. Flight times are around 2 hours 10 minutes from London, around 1 hour 45 minutes from Paris and about 1 hour 5 minutes from Geneva. For a factory visit or a stand at Cosmoprof, The Jet Collection arranges the aircraft, the handling and the transfer to the fair or the factory.
