Malpensa has reopened T2, after nearly 4 years the airport returns to full service
It was the 6:10 a.m. Milan-Amsterdam that reopened Terminal 2 at Milan Malpensa Airport this morning. The first of the [...]
easyJet
MXP
It was the 6:10 a.m. Milan-Amsterdam that reopened Terminal 2 at Milan Malpensa Airport this morning.
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The first of 61 easyjet flights scheduled today From the air terminal reopened to passenger traffic After a closure of more than three years due to a decline in passenger traffic as a result of the Covid outbreak. The British low-cost carrier, which just this year celebrates 25 years of operations to and from Milan and which Has exclusive use of the entire infrastructure on the north side of the airport, has been the leading company at Malpensa for years now. By number of movements and passengers.
In 2022, it flew about 6.5 million passengers from the Varese airport, or nearly a third of all those (21.6 million) that have departed or arrived. And for the peak summer season that is just around the corner, it plans to base a maximum of 23 aircraft at Malpensa (which is its second-largest hub, after London Gatwick), including two Airbus A321neo and four Airbus A320 neo aircraft, serving up to 62 nonstop destinations.
Movement between terminals
Until yesterday, easyjet passengers had been using Terminal 1., thus taking advantage of connections to or from other companies without changing terminals.
From today, however, they will return to using the shuttle bus or the Malpensa Express to move between the two air terminals. Which, the latter, is easier to do for passengers arriving at T2 and connecting at T1, since the train station is about a hundred meters from the exit of the arrivals hall; less easy for those arriving from T1 and connecting at T2, since the departures hall is about 400 meters from the train station.
Less traffic at Terminal 1
Easyjet's farewell to T1 will have major consequences for infrastructure opened in October 1998, which sees a number of desks in the check-in area being freed up and a significant reduction in congestion in the areas dedicated to boarding, particularly those in Pier A, from which the bulk of easyjet flights with origin or destination in the Schengen area used to operate.
Also the two lounges accessible by priority pass, When the renovated Monteverdi Hall reopens, will gain in terms of accessibility and livability from the return of easyjet passengers to T2.
Terminal 2 renovated
Who, in turn, can enjoy a more modern and efficient infrastructure than the one they left behind three years ago. Specifically, there are 21 self-bag drop stations at check-in, machines that allow travelers to check their checked baggage in total autonomy. The security screening area has been completely remodeled, and the new layout provides travelers with 9 new state-of-the-art automated lines that decrease passenger screening and waiting times. In addition, at the Fast Track lane, an EDS-CB (Explosives Detection Systems for Cabin Baggage) machine is in operation, which, using CT technology, allows screening without separating electronic equipment and liquids from carry-on baggage, further enhancing the travel experience.
Commercial offerings have also been renewed and enhanced with the creation of a 1,500-square-meter duty free shop and a strong dining presence with many innovative formulas and some national premieres. Little to do, however, with what passengers had in terms of shopping and dining offerings at Terminal 1.
In the area of energy efficiency, work has been carried out on passenger transportation facilities, with the installation of new and more efficient moving walkways, escalators and elevators at various points in the terminal. Some areas, including the arrivals hallway, were renovated with a focus on improving thermal insulation and energy performance. And the new state-of-the-art air-conditioning plant will enable a 15% reduction in energy used for air-conditioning and an approximately 8% reduction in CO2 emissions.
Immediately booming passenger numbers
Today alone, more than 20 thousand easyJet passengers will transit Terminal 2, with Catania and Paris Charles De Gaulle (5 flights), Naples (4 flights), Palermo (3 flights) and London Gatwick (3 flights) leading the way. At the peak of the summer season, however, the most 'flown' destinations will be Olbia with 44 weekly flights, Catania with 42, Paris Charles De Gaulle with 38, Palermo with 34 and London Gatwick with 32.
"Celebrating our return to Milan Malpensa Airport's Terminal 2, along with the 25th anniversary of easyJet's first flight to Milan and Italy, is a source of great pride for us," easyjet country manager Lorenzo Lagorio said yesterday at the presentation of the 'new' Terminal 2 in the Lombardy Region. "Since May 1998 we have carried 90 million passengers to and from this airport, confirming the company's continued commitment to Italy and Lombardy in particular. This summer we expect to move nearly 5 million passengers through Terminal 2 for what will be to all intents and purposes a return to pre-pandemic levels."
