Travelers wishing to visit the city of Milan and its surrounding area have two major airports to choose from: Malpensa Airport and Linate, which in 2016 served over 29 million passengers.
The easiest way to get to Milan from Sweden is with SAS, which flies daily from Arlanda.
Malpensa, located just over 50 kilometers from the center of Milan, is one of the most important hubs for international air traffic in Italy and every year millions of passengers choose to fly to and from the airport, either for a city break in the regional capital Milan or to visit other parts of Lombardy and its neighboring regions.
Malpensa International Airport opened in 1948. It has two passenger terminals (Terminal 1 and Terminal 2) and one cargo terminal (Malpensa Cargo).
Buses shuttle between the two passenger terminals. There are also over 10,000 parking spaces, both in parking decks and in the open, for long-term and short-term parking.
To get from the airport to the city's main railway station Milano Centrale and the northern center of Milan, and to the station Milano Cadorna, and the northwest part of the center, the Malpensa Express train is available (located at terminal 1).
It takes about 45 minutes by train between the airport and Milan Cadorna, and 1 hour between Milan Centrale and the airport.
Car rental companies
Taxis are available at the arrival halls of both passenger terminals.
There are also car rental companies, the largest number at Terminal 1, with both international and Italian car rental companies.
Terminal 1 has more than 74 restaurants and bars offering food and drink. For EXPO 2015, Terminal 1 underwent a major renovation and offers a wide range of duty-free shops where passengers can buy everything from designer clothes to local delicacies.
The passenger terminals also house exchange offices, ATMs and a first aid station. Passengers who need an overnight stay can use the Sheraton Malpensa Hotel at the airport.
Global aviation network
Malpensa airport is part of a global air network, but air traffic is mainly concentrated on destinations within Europe, which means that in addition to direct routes, passengers can also fly to Malpensa airport with aircraft that stop over at the airport.
Milano Linate (Airport Enrico Forlanini)
The other major airport is Milan Linate (official name Airport Enrico Forlanini).
The name is in memory of Enrico Forlanini who was born in Milan on December 13, 1848 and died on October 9, 1930.
Forlanini was an Italian engineer, inventor and aviation pioneer.) Built in the 1930s, the airport is the city's oldest and is located within its boundaries.
It is located 7 km east of central Milan and is mainly used for domestic and short-haul flights. 9.7 million passengers flew to and from the airport in 2016. Since 2001, only domestic or international flights within the EU are allowed.
The airport terminal offers free WiFi
The airport terminal has several restaurants, shops, banks and ATMs, free WI-FI, luggage storage, currency exchange and a pharmacy.
There are also 3,800 parking spaces available, both in parking decks and in the open, for short and long term parking.
Milan Linate is located on the Viale Enrico Forlanini road and its intersection with the A51 highway (exit 6 Aeroporto Linate), which connects with the city's other highways, so the airport can be reached from all directions.
Passengers can also take a local bus from and to Piazza Duomo in the city center as well as a bus from other locations in Milan.
Buses also run from and to Monza, Brescia and Malpensa Airport. Malpensa International Airport is about 47 kilometers away.
Adapted for people with disabilities
Both Linate Airport and Malpensa Airport are fully adapted for disabled people and have fully accessible toilets. A reception and assistance center for disabled passengers, called "sala Amica", is available at both airports.
In addition, these airports offer a service called "Via Milano Program card".
This means that a passenger who has two tickets for different airlines and who is due to fly to another destination after a stopover at Malpensa or Linate, but does not proceed on the second aircraft for 24 hours, is offered access to a fast track to speed up security checks.
You also get free unlimited WI-FI, a €10 voucher to spend in airport shops with a minimum purchase of €40, and a discount at the Sheraton Malpensa Hotel (this applies to Malpensa International Airport).
In addition to these services, the traveler will receive a breakfast voucher with a 10% discount at Autogrill Food & Beverage (if the traveler arrives before 10.30 am) and a voucher for access to the VIP lounge in Terminal 1 for an exclusive price.
On the milanomalpensa-airport.com website, travelers can also download an application for both Apple and Android digital platforms, called "Milan Airports".
The app provides information on the flights departing or arriving at the two airports and gives the traveler free web browsing at these airports' terminals.
Thanks to the Milan Airports application, as a traveler you receive push notifications that keep you informed in real time about departures and arrivals and, in addition, through a personalized page, can manage your ViaMilano program card to use the airports' parking, the fast track in case of delays, the VIP lounge and the purchase of a luggage protection package.
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