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Milan Linate Airport (IATA:LIN,ICAO:LIML) is a city airport located inMilan, the second-largest city and largest urban area ofItaly. It served 10.6 million passengers and recorded 118,060 aircraft movements in 2024, making itone of the busiest airports in Italy.[2] It is the third-busiest airport in theMilan metropolitan area in terms of passenger numbers, afterMalpensa andBergamo, and the second busiest in terms of aircraft movements.[3]
Together withMilan Malpensa Airport andMilan Bergamo Airport, they form the Milan airport system with 56.9 million passengers in 2024, the largest airport system in Italy by number of passengers.[4]
The airport was built next toIdroscalo of Milan in the 1930s when Taliedo Airport, located 1 km (0.62 mi) from the southern border of Milan and one of the world's firstaerodromes and airports, became too small for commercial traffic. Linate was completely rebuilt in the 1950s and again in the 1980s.[citation needed]
Its name comes from the small village where it is located in the town ofPeschiera Borromeo. Its official name isAirportEnrico Forlanini, after the Italian inventor and aeronautical pioneer born in Milan. Linate airport buildings are located in theSegrate Municipality, and the field is located for a large part in the Peschiera Borromeo Municipality.[citation needed]
Since 2001, because of Linate's close proximity to the centre of Milan – only 7 km (4 mi) east of the city centre,[1] compared with Malpensa, which is 41 km (25 mi) northwest of the city centre – its capacity has been reduced by law from 32 slots per hour (technical capacity) down to 22 slots per hour (politically decided capacity) and only domestic or international flights within the EU or to the United Kingdom have been allowed.[citation needed] That year, 2001, also saw amajor accident at Linate with many illegal[citation needed] and non-ICAO-regulation practices[Note 1] and layouts part of its then operation.[citation needed]
From 27 July to 27 October 2019, Linate was closed for runway resurfacing and terminal upgrades. The latter project is expected to continue after the airport's reopening, concluding some time in 2021. During this closure, most flights were rerouted to Malpensa, displacing approximately 2.5 million passengers.[6][7]
Linate Airport features one three-story passenger terminal building. The ground level contains the check-in and separate baggage reclaim facilities as well as service counters and a secondarydeparture gate area for bus-boarding. The first floor features the main departure area with several shops, restaurants and service facilities. The second floor is used for office space.[9]
The terminal building features five aircraft stands, all of which are equipped with jet-bridges. Several more parking positions are available on the apron which are reached from several bus-boarding gates.[citation needed] AIRAC A10/23 (valid from 30 November 2023) has determined the new QFU of the runway as 17/35 (was earlier 18/36) due to magnetic variation, and downgraded the "old" 17/35 to a taxiway only.[citation needed]
The airport can be reached by coach services from other places within the city. Coaches from and toMonza,Brescia andMilan Malpensa Airport are also available.[46]
TheATM bus 73 used to serve a route fromPiazza Duomo in the city centre to the Airport, as well as San Felice. The urban section of the line was cut to only serve the neighborhood ofForlanini when the M4 metro opened, and the line was subsequently renamed to the 973.In November 2024, service was reintroduced back along the former route to Piazza Cinque Giornate.[47] Other bus lines also serve Linate, including the ATM 901 and 903, and the suburban buses Z509 and K511.[48]
The airport is located onViale Enrico Forlanini next to its intersection withAutostrada A51 (exit6 Aeroporto Linate). A51 is part of the city's highway ring, so the airport can be reached from any direction.[46]
On 8 October 2001, during severe fog Scandinavian Airlines System Flight 686, bound forCopenhagen Airport,collided with abusiness jet which had inadvertently taxied onto the runway in use. This collision later resulted in criminal and legal proceedings against 11 staff, including an air traffic controller, flight safety officials and management officials from the airport.[50] All 114 people on both aircraft were killed, as well as four people on the ground. The Linate Airport disaster remains the deadliest air disaster in Italian history.
On 1 June 2003, aLearjet 45 operated byEurojet Italia crashed shortly after takeoff because of birdstrikes affecting both engines and loss of control attempting an emergency landing back at Linate. Both pilots were killed.[51]
On 15 June 2005, a light aircraft safely landed on taxiway 'T' after its pilot had mistaken it for runway 36R. Following that incident, a safety recommendation was issued.[52] It suggested the use of different numbers to help differentiate between runways.[53] This change was enacted at the beginning of July 2007, when 18R/36L became 17/35 and 18L/36R became 18/36.
On 3 October 2021, a privately ownedPilatus PC-12 that had just taken off from Linate Airportcrashed into an empty building, killing all eight passengers and crew on board. The plane was heading for Olbia on the island of Sardinia, but it came down soon after takeoff on the outskirts of the city near the metro station atSan Donato Milanese, near Milan.[54] The victims included businessmanDan Petrescu, one of the wealthiest people inRomania at the time; his wife, his son, and five others, including a one-year-old baby.[55][56] Several empty parked cars caught fire after the crash near the metro station, emergency workers said. Firefighters worked to extinguish the flames rising from the building, which was reportedly under reforms.[57]
^For instance, according to an English language pdf file titled "Milan Linate runway incursion", October 2001"[5] hosted inhttp://www.icao.int, it pinpointed that ICAO Annex 14 was not complied; in addition ICAO Annex 1 was not fully complied.
^"Dati di traffico - 2022"(PDF).Assaaeroporti. Associazione Italiana Gestori Aeroporti. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 20 December 2024. Retrieved15 December 2023.
^"Archivio 2024".Assaeroporti (in Italian). 26 November 2024. Retrieved10 June 2025.
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