Milan's Malpensa Airport Renamed After Silvio Berlusconi

Italy's second-busiest passenger airport has been formally named after the late former premier Silvio Berlusconi, closing a process that stretched over two years and drew legal challenges.

A silver plaque reading "International airport Milan Malpensa Silvio Berlusconi" was unveiled on Friday at a ceremony attended by Transport Minister Matteo Salvini and members of the Berlusconi family. Also on stage were Attilio Fontana, governor of the Lombardy region, Senate speaker Ignazio La Russa, and the late leader's brother, Paolo Berlusconi.

Paolo Berlusconi said his brother remained present in his urban projects, sporting achievements, media and publishing businesses, political legacy and public memory. He described the airport as a gateway to Europe and the world, and thanked those who had granted what he called a prestigious recognition that would tie his brother's name permanently to Milan. He spoke on behalf of the family, including Berlusconi's grandchildren.

Salvini said the inauguration was not a political or party event, calling Berlusconi a significant businessman, sports figure, media proprietor and planner who had employed hundreds of thousands of people. Speaking as a Milan resident, he said he would feel more at home each time he landed at Malpensa, and noted that 31 million passengers passed through the airport last year.

The decision to rename the airport, announced in 2024, met opposition. Milan's City Hall filed suit to halt the dedication, as did three nearby towns in Lombardy. They argued that municipalities, not the civil aviation authority, hold the power to name places, and that the law bars monuments to individuals until ten years after their death.

Berlusconi dominated Italian politics for three decades. He was born and raised in Milan, built his media empire there and owned the AC Milan football club, and died in the city in 2023 at the age of 86. He faced multiple criminal cases, most of which ended in dismissals; the only conviction that stood was a tax fraud case linked to the sale of movie rights, for which he performed community service.

Malpensa sits in Italy's industrial heartland and handles far more cargo traffic than Rome.