Milan's Airport Options: A Comprehensive Guide To Malpensa And Linate

Milan, Italy is served by three airports: Malpensa, Linate, and Bergamo Orio al Serio. Malpensa, the largest of the three, is located 45-52 km from the city centre and is the second-busiest airport in Italy. Linate is the closest airport to the city centre, located just 7 km away. Bergamo, also known as Il Caravaggio International Airport, is located about 50 km from Milan. All three airports have good connections to Milan's city centre and offer various transportation options.

Malpensa Airport is Milan's largest airport

Milan, Italy, is served by three airports: Malpensa, Linate, and Bergamo Orio al Serio. Malpensa Airport is Milan's largest airport and the second-busiest airport in Italy, after Rome Fiumicino. It is located in the province of Varese, approximately 32 miles (52 kilometers) from central Milan. The airport has two terminals, with Terminal 1 being the newer, larger, and more prominent of the two.

Malpensa Airport is named after former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi and has a rich history dating back to the early 20th century. The site has been associated with aviation activities for over 100 years, with the Caproni brothers testing their "flying machine," the Cal biplane, in 1910. In the following years, the site became a hub for aircraft prototype testing and, later, aircraft production, becoming the largest aircraft production centre in Italy.

Malpensa Airport is easily accessible from Milan via various transportation options. Efficient rail links connect the airport to Milan Central Station (Centrale) and Cadorna Station, with Malpensa Express trains departing every 30 minutes and offering a 50-minute journey to Centrale and a 37-minute journey to Cadorna. Additionally, the Terravision bus service provides an affordable option, with buses running every half hour between Milan and Malpensa for a 50-minute journey, depending on traffic.

The airport offers a range of amenities for visitors, including eateries, shopping outlets, art installations, and business and VIP facilities such as lounges. It is also a significant hub for several airlines, including EasyJet, which uses Terminal 2 exclusively, and Italy's national carrier, Alitalia, which operates a number of domestic, European, and intercontinental flights from the airport. Malpensa is the busiest airport in Italy for freight and cargo, handling over 730,000 tons of international freight annually.

Linate Airport is the closest to Milan's city centre

Milan, Italy, is served by three airports: Malpensa, Linate, and Bergamo Orio al Serio. Linate Airport, officially named Airport Enrico Forlanini, is the closest to the city centre, located only 7 km (4-5 miles) away. It is one of the busiest airports in Italy, having served 10.6 million passengers in 2024 with 118,060 aircraft movements.

Linate Airport is easily accessible from the city centre, with the Milan Metro Line 4 connecting the two in approximately 15 minutes. Additionally, bus services, including the ATM bus 73 and X73, provide transportation to and from the airport, with tickets available for purchase on the bus. During the week, the first bus departs at 6:10 am, and the last bus leaves at 11:30 pm. On weekends, the service begins at 6:30 am and ends at 10:00 pm. The journey takes around 25 minutes, with stops at Lambrate and Milano Centrale railway stations.

For those seeking a more direct option, a private transfer service can be booked, providing door-to-door transportation between the airport and hotels in Milan. This option typically costs around €40 per person and takes 45 minutes to an hour. Taxis are also available and offer a set fare of €110 to Milano Centrale, with potential surcharges for excessive baggage and night or weekend trips.

Linate Airport primarily handles short-haul flights within Italy and to other destinations in Europe. It is a popular choice for business travellers, especially those flying the Rome-Milan route, due to its proximity to the city centre. The airport has a single terminal and does not have direct train access.

Bergamo Airport is Milan's third busiest airport

Milan, Italy, is served by three airports: Malpensa, Linate, and Bergamo Orio al Serio. Milan Bergamo Airport, also known as Orio al Serio International Airport or Il Caravaggio International Airport, is Milan's third busiest airport. It is located in Orio al Serio, about 31 miles (50 kilometres) from Milan's city centre.

Milan Bergamo Airport is one of Ryanair's three largest operating bases, along with Dublin and London Stansted airports. In 2024, the airport served almost 17.4 million passengers, with the number of passengers steadily increasing since 2005. The airport has one passenger terminal and two jet-bridge gates. The terminal is divided into two zones, A and B, with gates A1-A15 and B1-B5, respectively. The airport has two runways, one 2.9 km long and the other 778 m long.

The airport is managed by SACBO, a company partially owned by SEA – Aeroporti di Milano, which also operates Linate and Malpensa airports. SACBO also provides security for the airport, supervised by the Polizia di Frontiera, Italy's border police. Milan Bergamo Airport offers several amenities, including shops, bars, and restaurants. It is well-connected to Milan, with various public transportation options available, including express coaches and buses.

Bergamo Airport is a popular choice for budget carriers and travellers heading to nearby destinations such as Lake Como, the Italian Alps, or the Ticino region of Switzerland. The busiest domestic routes from the airport are served by Ryanair and include Bari, Apulia; Cagliari, Sardinia; and Lamezia Terme, Calabria. Ryanair also operates the busiest international routes to London, Belgium, and Spain.

Milan is Italy's second busiest city for airline traffic

Milan is served by three airports: Malpensa, Linate, and Bergamo Orio al Serio. With more than 46 million annual passengers, Milan is Italy's second busiest city for airline traffic, after Rome.

Malpensa Airport (MXP) is the main airport in Milan and the second busiest in Italy, with more than 24 million passengers in 2018 and 26 million in 2023. It is located 49 kilometres northwest of the city and is the largest airport in northern Italy, serving Lombardy, Piedmont, and Liguria, as well as the Swiss canton of Ticino. Malpensa is one of the two hubs of Alitalia, the Italian national flag carrier, along with Leonardo da Vinci International Airport in Rome. It is also a hub for the British low-cost carrier EasyJet. The airport has two terminals, with Terminal 2 used exclusively by EasyJet. Milan Malpensa Airport officially commenced commercial operations in 1948, although the Belgian national flag carrier Sabena had started flying to Brussels from there a year earlier. Malpensa Airport is ninth in the world and sixth in Europe for the number of countries served with direct flights.

Linate Airport (LIN) is the second-largest airport in Milan, serving more than nine million passengers annually. It is located just 7 kilometres from the city centre, making it the easiest to reach of Milan's airports. Most passengers flying from Linate Airport travel on Alitalia flights within Italy, with the Rome-Milan route being especially popular with business flyers.

Bergamo Orio al Serio Airport (BGY), also known as Il Caravaggio International Airport or simply Milan-Bergamo, is Milan's second-busiest airport, with about 15 million passengers passing through each year. The airport is located about 50 kilometres east of Milan and is popular with budget carriers such as Ryanair, which uses the airport as a hub for flights throughout Europe and the UK.

Milan's airports all have good connections to the city centre

Milan, Italy, is served by three airports: Malpensa (MXP), Linate (LIN), and Bergamo Orio al Serio (BGY). All three airports have good connections to Milan's city centre, with a variety of transportation options available.

Malpensa Airport, located 45-52 km from the city centre, is Milan's largest and busiest airport, serving as a hub for international and long-haul flights. It offers convenient connections to the city centre via bus, train, and taxi. The Malpensa Express train connects the airport to Milan's Central Station and Piazza Cadorna station, with trains departing every 20-40 minutes and the journey taking around 30-50 minutes. Buses are also a frequent and affordable option, with departures every 10 minutes during the day and every 30 minutes overnight. Taxis are available but can be expensive due to the distance, with a fixed fare of around €90-107 to the city centre.

Linate Airport is the closest to the city centre, located just 7 km away. It primarily serves short-haul and domestic flights within Italy. Travellers can reach the city centre by bus, with a journey time of about 20 minutes, or by taxi, which takes around 10 minutes and costs approximately €20. Linate also offers pre-booked private transfer services, with prices ranging from €40 to €80 depending on the number of passengers.

Bergamo Orio al Serio International Airport, also known as Il Caravaggio International Airport or Milan-Bergamo, is located about 50 km from Milan. It is a popular hub for budget carriers and serves mostly short-haul flights. Travellers can reach the city centre by bus or taxi. The bus journey takes approximately one hour, and multiple bus companies offer transfers to Milano Centrale FS. Taxi fares can be negotiated with the driver or fixed at around €100, while private transfers range from €100 to €130.

In summary, all of Milan's airports provide efficient connections to the city centre, ensuring that visitors have a range of transport options to choose from upon their arrival. Whether arriving at Malpensa, Linate, or Bergamo airport, travellers can easily access Milan's central train and bus stations, as well as popular tourist destinations such as the Duomo cathedral and Santa Maria delle Grazie church.

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