Malpensa, terminal 2 reopens after more than three years: here's what's changed

Milan Malpensa Airport's Terminal 2 will reopen to the public on May 31, 2023. and will become fully operational again after more than 3 years of closure.

The closure dates back to winter 2020, when with the outbreak of the pandemic all flights had been concentrated in Terminal 1.

The reopening of the terminal will take place ahead of the peak summer season, allowing passengers to return to a dedicated experience while carrying out ground operations, from check-in to boarding, reducing waiting times and streamlining procedures. This summer, easyJet will come to base up to 23 aircraft at Milan Malpensa Airport, confirming it as the airport's leading carrier in terms of capacity made available to its customers and portfolio of routes reachable.

Easyjet moves to Malpensa's T2.

The terminal will once again become easyJet's exclusive home, but these three years of hibernation have also served for a major makeover. The orange carrier's passengers, in fact, will be welcomed into a thoroughly renovated facility.

The Terminal 2 redevelopment work, which began in late 2022, will increase passenger-facing services through the use of advanced technologies, improve the terminal's energy efficiency, and provide technical solutions to facilitate the latest generation of aircraft. Terminal 2 will thus be more comfortable, innovative and sustainable.

Specifically, at check-in an area will be dedicated to self bag drop, machines that allow travelers to check luggage into the hold independently even without the assistance of ground staff.

The security control area will be completely renovated and will have a more functional layout. The installation of new state-of-the-art automated lines will also shorten passenger checking and waiting times.

Also available will be an EDS-CB (Explosives Detection Systems for Cabin Baggage) machine that employs a CT technology at Fast Track passage, which will allow screening without the need to separate electronic devices and liquids from carry-on baggage, further enhancing the travel experience, the same one present at Linate.

Finally, new commercial spaces dedicated to shopping and dining will be built.

In terms of sustainability, upgrades to the aircraft apron are planned aimed at accommodating easyJet's new Airbus A321neo aircraft in the aprons adjacent to the terminal, producing 15% less CO2 emissions and 50% less noise impact during takeoff and landing than the previous generation airplanes.

In terms of energy efficiency, work will be done on air conditioning systems, replacing the old central unit with a state-of-the-art one, and on passenger transportation systems, with the installation of new and more efficient moving walkways, escalators, and elevators at various points in the terminal.

Some rooms, including the arrivals hallway, will undergo renovations with a focus on improving thermal insulation and energy performance. The new power plant achieves a 15% reduction in energy used for air conditioning and an approximately 8% reduction in CO2 emissions.

What changes for travelers

This news has an impact for easyJet passengers as well as everyone else, with reactions that, I believe, will be opposite.

Those who fly EasyJet to T2 obviously lose the convenience of the main terminal. Sure, there will be a new commercial area, but it will hardly be comparable.

There is no access to fast track for American Express Platinum holders: it goes without saying. we say goodbye to the T1 lounges, since there are no waiting rooms in the smaller terminal and the statement explaining the work does not mention any new openings in this regard.

All other passengers, on the other hand, will breathe a sigh of relief because disappearing low-cost airline passengers will greatly empty the aisles, queues and especially the Two lounges accessible via priority pass in the Varese Province airport.

The statements

Lorenzo Lagorio, country manager of easyJet Italy, said, "Twenty-five years after the first flight and seventeen years after the opening of our base, Milan Malpensa continues to be a cornerstone in our development strategy in Italy and that is why being able to call Terminal 2 of this important Italian airport home again is a source of great enthusiasm for us, even more so in view of a summer - such as the one coming up - in which we are aiming for a return to pre-pandemic levels. The satisfaction of our passengers has always been a priority for easyJet, and during these months of closure we have worked in close synergy with SEA in order to return to welcoming all travelers to Terminal 2, guaranteeing them the best possible travel experience."

Armando Brunini, CEO of SEA, commented, "Reopening Terminal 2 historic base of easyJet, the first airline by flights and passengers at Malpensa, is further confirmation that we have recovered domestic and European traffic."