MILAN MALPENSA AND MILAN LINATE AIRPORT TRAFFIC PERFORMANCE
| Movements | Passengers (1) | Cargo (2) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | % vs 2016 | 2017 | % vs 2016 | 2017 | % vs 2016 | |
| Malpensa | 174,754 | 7.4% | 22,037.2 | 14.1% | 576,539 | 7.4% |
| Linate | 96,467 | -1.4% | 9,503.1 | -1.4% | 11,937 | -4.9% |
| Total commercial traffic | 271,221 | 4.1% | 31,540.3 | 9.0% | 588,476 | 7.1% |
| Linate General Aviation (3) | 21,263 | 2.7% | 44.3 | 1.2% | - | - |
| SEA Group Airport System | 292,484 | 4.0% | 31,584.6 | 8.9% | 588,476 | 7.1% |
(1) Arriving+departing passengers (‘000)
(2) Arriving+departing cargo in tonnes
(3) General Aviation Source: Linate-SEA Prime
The Milan Airport System in 2017 served a total of 31.6 million passengers, up 8.9% on 2016.
The significant increase in commercial aviation passengers (+2.6 million) was ahead of the national average (+6.4%) and entirely related to the strong performance of Malpensa which reported growth of 14.1% on the previous year. On the one hand this stems from greater capacity put on stream by carriers at the Varese-based airport, with more movements (+7.4%) and larger average aircraft size (+9.8% in seats offered), and on the other higher load factors (+3%).
Linate airport reported a slight increase in passenger numbers (+1.4%) on 2016. Despite a strong first quarter (+4.3%), with the beginning of the summer season the airport was impacted by the transfer of KLM and Air France flights to Malpensa, previously operated from Linate under a commercial agreement with Alitalia which permitted carriers to use the latter’s slots. The contraction was further impacted by the cancellation of Air Berlin operations from the winter season.
Cargo traffic handled by the Milan Airport System exceeded 588 thousand tonnes (+7.1%). Malpensa reported an expansion of 7.4%, continuing the growth reported over the last five-year period (+8.2% annual average). Malpensa currently manages 52% of the total cargo moved in Italy and is therefore the country’s leading airport.
General aviation traffic at Milan Linate grew 2.7% in 2017 on the previous year. The slight fall off in the first half of 2017 (-1.0%), attributable to the Champions League final in May 2016, was offset by a decisively positive performance in the second half of the year (+6.0%).
The average size of aircraft transiting at the airport increased from 15 to 16 tons, resulting in a total +2.8% tonnage increase.
Milan Linate Airport confirmed its sixth-place standing in Europe in terms of average daily takeoffs (29 departures), after the airports of Paris Le Bourget, Geneva, Nice, London Luton and Zurich.