SEA, the company managing Milano Linate and Milano Malpensa airports, took over the direct management of Milano Linate business aviation airport in December 2013 and has since undertaken a root and branch reorganization and refurbishment of the 50-year-old business airport, now called Milano Linate Prime.
“We have invested heavily in the infrastructure, processes and appearance of the airport,” says Chiara Dorigotti, General Manager of SEA Prime and Prime AviationServices, which is the leading ground handling operator in Milano Linate Prime. “We have completely restyled the terminal, which was last renovated in the 1970s, with new services like a new passengers’ lounge, a crew room and a new business center with six conference rooms providing modern communication and presentation equipment available for meetings of all kinds”.
The airport now also offers a concierge service to take care of everything a visitor to Milan might need on arrival, while a catering company called PrimeGusto has been set up to provide the best quality food.
Although the airport is located in the city, it still has room for physical expansion. “At present, we have eight dedicated hangars and a terminal building with a total area of over 20,000 m2,” says Ms. Dorigotti. “We are have projects to build two additional hangars, which will give us more than 6,000 m2 of extra space. This and other improvements are part of a total investment package worth 30 million EUR in the next five years.”
Investment is much needed as Milano Linate Prime is facing increasing demand, particularly from business travelers. The facelift and new services will allow the airport to address their needs.
Advertising from luxury brands such as Bulgari, Armani and BMW provides an additional revenue source. BMW also sponsors a fleet of cars for the airport.
“The experience we have gained with the business terminal at Linate will help us carry out a similar project at Milan Malpensa Airport,” says Ms. Dorigotti. “We are currently working on the budget and expect to have structures specifically for business aviation in place by the end of next year.”
With over 50 years of experience, SEA Prime is well positioned to take advantage of the growth currently taking place in Milan and its airports, thanks to events happening in Milan like the EXPO, fashion and design weeks, and other important sports events like F1 Grand Prix and the Champions’ League final, which will take place in 2016.
As the city invests in further hotels and facilities, the number of air passengers can only increase in the future.