Residents in the town of Ciampino, next to Romes second airport on the outskirts of the city, are calling for a round table to discuss the future of the airport and for an inspection of safety standards.

At a crowded and heated public meeting, local residents protested about the increase in traffic at the airport, the rise in pollution and the noise at night when aircraft maintenance work is undertaken.

The number of passengers using Ciampino airport was 700,000 in the year 2000 and two million in 2004. This year four million passengers are expected to use the airport, coming and going on 64,000 flights, and the prospect is for an increase to 22 flights an hour and eight million passengers a year in the near future.