Milan Malpensa Airport officially adopts Berlusconi name

Chris Dalton · 2026-09-25T13:20:26.609Z

Berlusconi built a lot for Milan and the country so naming the main airport after him makes sense as recognition.

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On Friday, Sept. 25, 2026, a silver plaque was unveiled at Milan Malpensa Airport in Somma Lombardo as the airport took the official name Milano-Malpensa Silvio Berlusconi. ENAC approved the change in 2024; the IATA code stays MXP. The airport handled 31 million passengers last year versus 51 million at Rome. Attendees included Deputy Premier Matteo Salvini, Senate President Ignazio La Russa, Lombardy Region President Attilio Fontana, and family members Marina and Paolo Berlusconi. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani delivered a video message. Marina Berlusconi told ANSA the thought that the airport "will welcome thousands of travelers from around the world every day fills me with pride and emotion," adding he "always sought dialogue with everyone." Paolo Berlusconi said Silvio "loved Italia" and everything he did was for "my homeland," and that "our future lies in Europe." Tajani called it "a most fitting choice" and said Berlusconi "was a statesman who shaped the history of our country." Salvini spoke and noted some invitees' absence. Precedents include Rome's Leonardo da Vinci and Venice's Marco Polo airports. CONTESTED Milan City Hall, led by Mayor Beppe Sala, and three nearby Lombardy towns argued cities, not ENAC, hold naming power and that law bars monuments to a person until 10 years after death. A Lombardy court ruled the challenges inadmissible in April 2026. Berlusconi faced multiple criminal cases that mostly ended in dismissal; one tax-fraud conviction tied to a movie-rights sale stuck, and he performed community service.