Linate Airport (LIN) Airport Guide - HonestAirport

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Know before you go

A compact traveler cheat sheet for timing, terminals, food, and disruption checks.

Timing

Classic 100 ml security — Linate is fast, not magic

Standard liquids rules; compact terminal still queues on weekday morning banks.

SEA’s check-in and security guidance still follows standard cabin liquids rules: liquids bought after screening stay in sealed duty-free bags with the receipt; medicines and baby food can travel outside the clear bag with proof of need. The building is compact, but morning ITA / easyJet banks still stack the single security hall — be landside with boarding pass and documents ready rather than assuming a 20-minute dash from M4.

Terminal

One renovated city terminal — gates are short, not scattered

Single terminal; SEA airside lounge by Gates 17–18, landside Piranesi before security.

Ground floor: check-in, bag drop, reclaim, car hire and landside curb. After security you enter the first-floor airside spine (duty-free, Autogrill brands, gates). Leonardo Exclusive Lounge sits airside next to Gates 17–18; ITA Runway Lounge is on the same Schengen first floor near A17–A21. Piranesi Classic Lounge is the landside option in Departures Area AB before you clear security — useful if your card only works landside or you need a calm wait before bag drop closes.

Food

Autogrill Motta / Alemagna / Saporè — city-airport café scale

Autogrill Motta / Alemagna / Saporè / Temakinho cover most banks; lounges for calm.

Autogrill’s Linate page lists Alemagna Caffè Pasticceria, Ristorante Motta, Temakinho and Saporè Pizzeria among the branded food courts — expect espresso, panini, pizza and a sushi/poke option rather than a full gourmet pier. Pair with duty-free / newsstand bottles if you are rushing a gate. For a quieter plate and included drinks, use Leonardo (airside) or Piranesi (landside) if your programme covers them.

Status

Italy’s close-in

Close-in Milan airport on one main runway — weather and slots still set the day.

11.1M SEA passengers in 2025 make Linate a serious national airport, but the passenger operation still depends on a single main runway 17/35 and capped hourly slots. Po Valley fog, thunderstorms and inbound ATC flow can pause the whole bank — build buffer if you must connect by M4 to Centrale rail products or transfer across town to Malpensa. Prefer live LIN FIDS over yesterday’s timetable screenshot.

Live conditions

Right now at LIN

Security waits and operational status from official feeds, where the airport publishes them.

Honest verdict

Who this airport works for

Best for

ITA Airways and easyJet passengers bound for central Milan without the Malpensa trek
Priority Pass holders using Leonardo airside (Gates 17–18) or landside Piranesi before security
Travellers who want ATM M4 (€2.20) instead of a metered taxi into San Babila / Duomo
Domestic and EU/UK short-haul flyers who value a compact single-terminal city airport

Watch out for

Not Malpensa — no long-haul hub product; cross-town connections need M4 + rail/coach buffer
Classic 100 ml liquids rules (SEA still publishes standard LAG guidance)
Single primary runway 17/35 plus capped slots — fog and storms can slide the whole bank
Piranesi Lounge closes 18:00; late banks need Leonardo or ITA Runway (status), not landside PP

Airportist Score

Why this score

Overall is the published weighted sum of six categories. No holistic fudge on top.

Ease of use · 25%

Wayfinding, security wait, and layout.

8.6

Comfort & amenities · 20%

Seating, Wi-Fi, cleanliness, and quiet.

7.6

Food & retail · 15%

Food and retail quality and variety.

7.2

Ground access · 15%

Transit, taxi, and parking to the city.

9.2

Reliability · 15%

Delays, cancellations, and weather resilience.

6.4

Lounges · 10%

Worth-it density and access quality.

7.4

Key stats

Editorial reference figures, not live readings.

Annual passengers

11.08M (2025, SEA)

Terminals

1 passenger terminal

On-time departures

76%

Typical security

12 min

Guide quick facts

From the editorial guide for LIN.

Updated Sep 16, 2026

Milan Linate Airport (Italian: Aeroporto di Milano-Linate “Enrico Forlanini”), IATA LIN / ICAO LIML, sits on Milan’s eastern edge (Segrate / Peschiera Borromeo), about 7–8 km from the Duomo. Operator: SEA Aeroporti di Milano (same group as Malpensa). Official site: milanolinate-airport.com. Fully civilian city airport — Milan’s close-in option; do not confuse with Malpensa (MXP) or Bergamo Orio al Serio (BGY).
SEA’s Annual Financial Report as at 31 December 2025 counts 11,076 thousand commercial-aviation passengers at Linate in calendar 2025 (+5% vs 10,599 thousand in 2024), with 93.2 thousand commercial movements (+3%). SEA describes Linate as Italy’s fourth airport by passenger volume and a national / European frequent-flyer city airport. Use 11,076,000 for the exact SEA headcount; “11.1 million” tracks the same report.
Single multi-level passenger terminal (check-in and reclaim on the ground floor; main airside departures retail and gates on the first floor). SEA corporate datasheet: 71 bag-drop desks + 12 hand-baggage-only desks, 24 gates, 41 aircraft stands, H24 operations. Main runway 17/35 2,442 × 60 m asphalt; a short parallel strip 601 × 22 m is also listed. Field elevation ~353 ft / 108 m (OurAirports / SEA). No US CBP preclearance.
Network is domestic Italy + EU/UK short- and medium-haul — SEA corporate copy cites about 43 destinations, 19 airlines and 14 countries (verify live FIDS). ITA Airways treats Linate as a Milan focus city; easyJet bases here; other regular operators include Lufthansa Group carriers, British Airways, Air France/KLM partners and seasonal leisure airlines. Long-haul widebodies and most intercontinental traffic use Malpensa, not Linate.
Metro M4 (Blue line) has a Linate Aeroporto station with a covered walk to the terminal — ATM publishes about 12 minutes to San Babila and contactless / €2.20 Mi1–Mi3 tickets (90 minutes). Coaches and ATM urban buses also serve Milano Centrale and city stops; official white taxis use the meter into Milan (airport minimum €16 on the Comune tariffario) with published fixed fares only on selected longer routes (e.g. Linate–Fiera Milano Rho €68, Linate–Malpensa €128 — July 2024 Comune sheet).
Public lounges: SEA Leonardo Exclusive Lounge (airside by Gates 17–18; Priority Pass 05:30–21:30) and SEA Piranesi Classic Lounge (landside Departures Area AB before security; Priority Pass 06:00–18:00). ITA Airways Runway Lounge (Schengen first floor near Gates A17–A21; typically 06:00–22:00) is airline/status access, not Priority Pass. Official security page confirms potable-water dispensers in the boarding area for empty-bottle refills.

18 official sources

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