Milan Malpensa Airport is the largest international aerodrome in the region, serving approximately 17 million people living in Milan, Lombardy, Piedmont and Liguria in Northern Italy and the Swiss Canton of Ticino. The airport has two terminals and besides two runways, there is a special cargo terminal.
Malpensa served more than 28 million passengers in 2019, making it the 20th busiest airport in Europe and the second busiest port in Italy. Malpensa is Italy’s busiest port for air cargo transportation. Milan Malpensa International Airport is a hub for Cargolux Italia, FedEx Express and EGO Airways. It is also the focus city for Albastar, easyJet, Neos, Wizz Air, Malta Air and Air Horizont.
Milan private jet charter prices
Although Milan air charter fees depend on variables such as the number of passengers, departure airport, flight time, aircraft position, flight date, the prices for private jet charter from Istanbul → Milan are as follows.
| Light Jet | 14.450 EUR |
| Midsize Jet | 20.400 EUR |
| Heavy Jet | 26.200 EUR |
These prices are average amounts and you can contact us on our flight reservation screen or by phone for the most accurate price information.
The History of Malpensa, nicknamed the Centennial Airport
The location of today’s Malpensa Airport has been the scene of aviation activities for over 100 years. The first began on May 27, 1910, when the Caproni brothers flew their “flying machine,” the Cal biplane. In the 1920s and 1930s, the airport hosted two squadrons of Regia Aeronautica Italiana (Italian Air Force). In September 1943, when Northern Italy was invaded by Adolf Hitler, Malpensa airport was captured by Nazi Germany’s Luftwaffe. Shortly after the Luftwaffe captured the aerodrome, the Germans laid the airport’s first concrete runway.
After the end of hostilities during the World War II, manufacturers and politicians of Milan and Varese regions, led by banker Benigno Ajroldi from Banca Alto Milanese, restored the airport. They aimed to make the port an industrial foothold for Italy’s post-war recovery. The main runway, which was badly damaged by German troops while withdrawing from northern Italy, was rebuilt and extended to 1.800 meters.
After the war, Malpensa Airport officially started commercial operation on November 21, 1948. On February 2, 1950, long-distance flights started with the flights to America. Between 1958 and 1962 a new terminal arrived at Malpensa and the airport’s two parallel runways were extended to 3.915 m (12.844 ft), making it the longest in Europe at the time.
In the early 60s, the port began to bleed as a result of the major carriers’ preference for Linate Airport, making Malpensa a port with only a handful of intercontinental connections, charter flights and cargo operations.
By the 80s, Linate Airport had become unable to meet the increasing workload and expansion works could not be done due to its location. For this reason, Malpensa Airport came to the fore again and it was decided to start the expansion works. At the end of 1985, a law was passed by the Italian Parliament paving the way for the reorganization of the Milan airport system. Linate Airport has been reduced to a domestic and short-haul facility, while Malpensa has been designated as the hub for all services covering northern Italy.
From the 90s to the 2000s, the port continued to grow with increasing numbers every year. Due to the convenience of transportation to the port area, cargo flights also peaked in this period. In 2008, an important investment for the port and enlargement of the port came to the fore. With a sudden change of decision, the managers of the period decided to shift the investments calculated to be made in Malpensa to Rome Fiumicino Airport. As a result of this decision, Malpensa lost its first place to Fiumicino, although it did not completely lose its function.
The airport continued to suffer in 2009, when the international financial crisis and high fuel prices caused a decline. To get out of these woes, airport operator SEA launched an extensive promotional program and aggressively marketed Malpensa Airport around the world. This campaign was successful, and a total of 34 new passenger and cargo routes were added to Malpensa’s network from 2008 to 2011.
In 2014, a contract was signed for the extension of the railway line from Terminal 1 to Terminal 2. The line opened in December 2016. In 2015, low-cost carrier EasyJet made Malpensa its home base.
Places to visit in Milan
Milan, which does not rank very high in terms of cultural tourism compared to other cities in Italy, is one of the most popular cities in the world with its shopping and social life.
When Milan is mentioned, Duomo di Milano, one of the largest gothic religious buildings in the world, comes to mind as the first of the places to visit. Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, which is a design wonder, Sforza Castle located in the old city center, the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie (The Last Supper Fresco), which is an architecturally unique structure, the Navigli District, one of the most socially active areas, and the most vibrant area of the city, and Brera District, which is one of the old settlements and hosts many art galleries, are the most attractive touristic places of the city.
Malpensa Airport – Milan transportation
Milan Malpensa Airport is connected to Milan city center by the following means of transport:
There are several buses from Malpensa Airport Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 to Milan Central Station and Fiera Milano. The Malpensa Bus Express runs from Malpensa Airport to Milan Central Station and Fiera Milano City. The journey time is approximately 40-50 minutes according to the departure terminal.
A taxi transfer from Malpensa Airport to Milan is very convenient, as the journey takes only 45 minutes.
The licensed taxis of the Municipality of Milan are white and are allowed to take a maximum of 4 people. If you take a taxi, make sure it has a sticker on the windshield that says “Taxi autorizzato per il servizio aeroportuale lombardo”, this means that the taximeter is set for this route and you pay the displayed fare. Other unlabeled taxis may add extra cost to the fare. Taxis wait in the ground-level Arrivals section of both terminals.
Malpensa Express connects both terminals to Milan train stations. Malpensa Express connects Malpensa Airport to Milan Bovisa, Milan Cadorna (43 minutes), Milano Centrale (58 minutes) and Milan Porta Garibaldi.
Renting a car at Milan Malpensa Airport is one of the best ways to explore the city and its surroundings on your own, and there are more than ten car rental companies in the port.
