Malpensa International Airport

You can find Malpensa International Airport in the province of Varese, close to Milan, Italy. In the Milan area there are three airports altogether. The Malpensa International Airport can be reached from Milan on either the Milano-Varese highway, which goes directly to the airport, or by the “Malpensa Express”, a train that deals directly with the international airport. The Malpensa airport is also connected to Linate, the other international airport, by a scheduled bus service. The last international airport in the Milan area is the Orio al Serio International Airport that deals more with charter traffic and low-cost flying.

The Malpensa Express links Malpensa Airport to the Milan Cadorna Station, a 40 minute journey, and departs from Terminal 1 every 30 minutes. The Malpensa Bus Express and Malpensa Shuttle also connect the airport to the Milan Central Station and the Subway, taking about an hour depending how bad the traffic is. Within the airport there is a free shuttle bus that links Terminal 1 and 2, leaving every twenty minutes throughout the day and night. Of course there are always the Taxis that are on hand at the Arrivals at Terminal 1 and 2 but they are quite expensive and the traveling conditions are not the best in and around Milan.

Malpensa is one of the two hubs of Alitalia, the Italian national carrier. Altogether the international airport had over 21.7 million passengers in 2006, over 31 million if you include Linate. Malpensa International Airport is rated the top Italian airport when dealing with international traffic and second largest when handling passengers as well as being the leading freight air gateway into Italy.

Over the years the ground handling services have proved useful in providing a variety of services like disabled assistance, providing ramps and passenger handling, although there is much to do in improving the quality and the services provided. Airport security services have changed hands since 2000; it is no longer with the State Police but is now being handled by SEA. The Italian State Police, the Italian Customs Police and Italy’s Civil Aviation Authority control the SEA Airport Security with private security companies helping to provide services like airplane guarding and ID checking.