easyJet celebrates 20 years at Milan Malpensa and strengthens its base with new Airbus A321neo

Twenty years after the opening of the Milan Malpensa base, easyJet relaunches the airport with a new step in the renewal of the fleet and consolidates its role in the Milan airport system. The airline celebrated the 20th anniversary of the opening of the Milan Malpensa base with an event held at the Lufthansa Technik Hangar at Milan Malpensa Airport which was attended by Armando Brunini, CEO of SEA Milan Airports, Lorenzo Lagorio, Country Manager of easyJet Italy but also numerous representatives of institutions including the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Matteo Salvini, the President of the Lombardy Region Attilio Fontana, the Councillor for Mobility of the Municipality of Milan Arianna Censi and the President of ENAC Pierluigi Di Palma.

The anniversary was an opportunity to retrace the company's growth at Malpensa and to announce the arrival, in summer 2026, of another 3 Airbus A321neo that will replace as many previous generation Airbus A320s. By the summer peak, the base will thus be able to count on 10 aircraft of the Airbus A320neo family, including 7 Airbus A321neo and 3 Airbus A320neo, out of a total of 22 aircraft based at the airport.

The novelty also translates directly into the offer available for those flying to and from Milan Malpensa Airport (MXP) The Airbus A321neo allow for a significant increase in capacity thanks to a 235-seat configuration, compared to 186 for the Airbus A320. In this way, around half of the capacity based at Malpensa will be operated by new generation aircraft, at a time when the airline continues to invest in its main hub in continental Europe.

easyJet's growth at Milan Malpensa tells of a path that is now structural. After the first flight landed in 1998 from London Stansted Airport (STN), the real turning point came in 2006 with the opening of the operational base, which started with 3 aircraft and about 100 employees. Today, Malpensa is the heart of easyJet's presence in continental Europe, with 22 aircraft based, 76 active routes and a capacity of 8.7 million seats on almost 50,000 annual flights. Added to this is the exclusive presence at Terminal 2 and a Training Center that trains over 8,000 pilots and flight attendants from all over Europe every year.

eayjet's destinations from Malpensa and Linate

 

Also on the summer network front, Malpensa is confirmed as a key airport for the company's leisure and international offer. 

 

For the upcoming summer season, 5.7 million seats are available to and from the stopover on a network that reaches 16 countries, with destinations ranging from Cape Verde to the Lofoten Islands in Norway, from Iceland to the Caucasus Mountains. 

 

A network that further strengthens the connectivity of Lombardy and expands travel possibilities for the Milan basin.

 

The strengthening of easyJet in Lombardy can also be read in a broader key. One year after the opening of the Milan Linate base, the company expects 23 routes to operate in summer 2026, with 1.7 million seats available, 5 based aircraft and over 180 employees. 

 

Overall, between Malpensa and Linate, easyJet is thus confirmed as the first carrier in terms of capacity offered at the two Milanese airports, with around 12 million seats available in 2026 and around 100 routes in total in Lombardy.

 

Malpensa (MXP): 76 routes to 19 countries in 2026 with 22 aircraft based.

 

Linate (LIN): 24 routes to 12 countries in 2026 with 5 aircraft based.

 

The anniversary was also accompanied by initiatives dedicated to travellers. Until 29 March, a special promotion is active with discounts of up to 20% for travel between 6 April and 30 June 2026 on all routes to and from Milan Malpensa and on some destinations operated by Milan Linate Airport (LIN).

At Terminal 2, the celebrations also involved passengers in transit with a temporary lounge inspired by the easyJet world, while over the weekend the BarFly initiative brings cocktails created to celebrate some of the most popular destinations in the company's network to the clubs of Milan.

In the name of 20 years of the Milan Malpensa base, easyjet therefore strengthens its presence with a more modern fleet, greater capacity and an increasingly central offer for air mobility in the area. A step that confirms the strategic weight of the Lombard airport in the growth of the company and in the international connectivity of Milan and Lombardy.