SEA Aeroporti di Milano’s Giulio De Metrio, Chief Operating Officer, and Pietro Modiano, President, were presented with the ACI EUROPE Best Airport Award in the ‘10-25 million passenger’ category by Victoria Moores, European Editor, Air Transport World.
Milan Malpensa Airport has undergone a step-change over the past year, the most visible element being the €30 million transformation of Terminal 1 completed ahead of Expo Milano 2015. This contributed to Milan Malpensa winning this year’s ACI EUROPE Best Airport Award in the ‘10-25 million passenger’ category. Giulio De Metrio, Chief Operating Officer, SEA Aeroporti di Milano, spoke to Ross Falconer.
SEA Aeroporti di Milano’s efforts over the past year have been designed to bring new life to Milan Malpensa Airport. The eyes of the world are on Milan this year, with Expo Milano 2015 taking place from 1 May to 31 October, and the elegant refurbishment of Milan Malpensa Terminal 1 creates a tangible sense of place.
The reinvention of Terminal 1 was a major factor in Milan Malpensa winning this year’s ACI EUROPE Best Airport Award in the ‘10-25 million passenger’ category. The overall vision for the development, which began in 2012, was to make Terminal 1 easier for passengers to use, and this has been achieved by relocating the security search area to the same level as check-in. Meanwhile, there is a vibrant, enhanced commercial proposition totalling 13,000sqm, with the new Piazza del Lusso (Luxury Square) and Piazza del Gusto (Taste Square) at its heart.
“We invested €30 million in a functional restyling, completely changing the approach to security and having a different approach to the retail and food & beverage. The new centralised security zone is used by both Schengen and non-Schengen travellers, meaning all passengers pass directly into the same retail area,” Giulio De Metrio, Chief Operating Officer, SEA Aeroporti di Milano, explained.
He speaks passionately about the “attention to detail”, which has built “a new experience that gives a feeling of being in Italy”. The initial results, and the impressions of the passengers and airlines, suggest that the redeveloped Terminal 1 strikes the right key.
Milan Malpensa’s elegant Terminal 1 refurbishment includes the first airport concept from Michelin-starred chef Davide Oldani, which is located in Piazza del Lusso.
Milan Malpensa won praise from the ACI EUROPE Best Airport Awards judges for its integration of art exhibitions promoting Italian and international culture. Milan is a cradle of Italian art and music, and the airport has taken special steps to reflect this. “We have built a special area between Terminal 1 and the train station, which we call La Porta di Milano (The Gate of Milan), so when you cross that threshold you feel you are coming to a special place,” De Metrio enthused. The holistic vision involves installations of both contemporary and classic Italian art. “We also try to give an international feeling to what we do, as the airport is Milan’s gateway to the world,” De Metrio added.
Indeed, the ACI EUROPE Best Airport Awards judges also noted Milan Malpensa’s “dedicated initiatives to welcome Chinese travellers”. The ‘Chinese Friendly Airport’ project aims to make Malpensa more attractive and comfortable for Chinese customers. De Metrio explained that this includes Chinese-speaking shopping helpers to assist in the retail environment, the inclusion of Chinese in the main airport signage, and a dedicated smartphone app to further support Chinese travellers.
The future certainly looks bright for Milan Malpensa. In the first half of 2015 the airport handled 8.6 million passengers and confirmed its status as an intercontinental hub – over 30% of traffic connects with non-European destinations, with particularly significant growth reported with the Middle East (+9.5%), Far East (+16.1%), and the Americas (+7.5%). Cargo performance has also been impressive, with 6.7% growth to a record 246,000 tonnes in the first half of the year. Meanwhile, plans are in place to further enhance the retail offer after Expo Milano 2015 with a ‘Pop’ (Popular) Piazza. This will offer brands at a more accessible price-point, meaning Terminal 1 will have areas dedicated to luxury retail, mass-market retail, and food & beverage, all adjacent to one another to maximise convenience for customers.
