Milan's Malpensa Airport Officially Renamed After Silvio Berlusconi

Milan's Malpensa airport was officially dedicated to the late former premier Silvio Berlusconi on Friday, closing a process that had been contested in court for more than two years.

The ceremony featured the unveiling of a silver plaque at the airport. Deputy Premier Matteo Salvini and members of Berlusconi's family were among those present.

Berlusconi, a billionaire media magnate who served as prime minister, dominated Italian politics for three decades and remains a polarising figure. He was seen by supporters as a charismatic leader who raised Italy's international profile, while critics regarded him as a populist who used political office for personal advantage.

He faced numerous criminal cases, most of which ended in dismissal. Investigations examined his private parties involving young women and minors as well as his business dealings. The only conviction that stood was for tax fraud linked to the sale of movie rights within his business empire, for which he carried out community service.

When the naming was announced in 2024, it drew opposition. Milan's City Hall filed suit to block the dedication, as did three nearby towns in Lombardy. They contended that local authorities, not the civil aviation body, hold the power to name places, and that Italian law bars monuments to individuals until ten years after their death.

In April, a Lombardy court rejected the municipalities' challenges as inadmissible, paving the way for the airport to be called Milan Malpensa Silvio Berlusconi.

Berlusconi was born and raised in Milan, built his media empire there, owned the AC Milan football club, and died in the city in 2023 at the age of 86.

Other major Italian airports carry the names of historical figures, including Rome's Leonardo da Vinci, Venice's Marco Polo and Verona's Valerio Catullo.

Malpensa is Italy's second-busiest passenger airport, handling 31 million travellers last year, compared with 51 million at Rome's international airport, according to the aviation authority. Its IATA code, MXP, will not change. Situated in Italy's industrial heartland, the airport handles far more cargo than Rome's.