Milan Malpensa Airport (MXP) has reopened its Terminal 2—to be used exclusively by LCC easyJet—after a three-year closure.

MXP operator Società Esercizi Aeroportuali (SEA) says 20,000 easyJet passengers used the terminal on May 31, its first day in service since closing in June 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

EasyJet, which has an all-Airbus A320-family fleet, says 23 aircraft will be based at MXP this summer, serving more than 60 destinations. The airline considers MXP its “main base in continental Europe.”

SEA says in a statement that Terminal 2 has been upgraded during its closure. For example, it will feature 21 baggage self-drop machines, enabling passengers to check baggage on their own. 

“The security check area has been renovated throughout, with a new, more functional layout that offers passengers nine new, automated, latest-generation lines that will reduce checking and waiting times,” SEA adds.

The operator notes the terminal has been equipped with explosive-detection technology “that will enable checks to be carried out without removing electronic devices and liquids from hand luggage, further improving the travel experience.”

The terminal also has a new 1,500 m² (16,145 ft²) duty-free area and expanded dining options. MXP has additionally installed “new and more efficient mobile walkways, escalators and lifts at different points of the airport.” 

SEA adds: “A number of areas, such as the arrivals corridor, have been renovated, with particular attention paid to improving thermal insulation and energy performance. The new, latest-generation air conditioning system will allow for a 15% reduction in the energy used for air conditioning, and a reduction of approximately 8% in [carbon dioxide] emissions.”

EasyJet says it expects Terminal 2 to handle 5 million passengers over the summer. 

Lorenzo Lagorio, country manager of easyJet Italia, notes the UK-based carrier has been serving Milan for 25 years.

“From May 1998 to the present, we’ve flown 90 million passengers to and from this airport, confirming the airline’s ongoing commitment to Italy and to the Lombardy region in particular,” he says, adding that easyJet this summer will operate “unprecedented ... seats available and destinations served” from MXP, “thanks to a terminal in line with our requirements.”

SEA CEO Armando Brunini says the terminal’s reopening “is a further confirmation ... that the pandemic is officially over.” He adds Terminal 2 is “now more comfortable, efficient and sustainable thanks to all our investments we made in order to improve the quality of passengers’ experience.”