by InTrieste
Air service between Trieste and Milan Linate will resume on July 1 after a three-month hiatus, restoring a connection that regional officials describe as essential for business travel and territorial connectivity in Italy’s northeastern Friuli Venezia Giulia region.
The route, operated by Aeroitalia, will run through March 31, 2027. Regional authorities said they are already working to secure the service for at least three additional years.
Speaking at the announcement on Wednesday, the president of Friuli Venezia Giulia, Massimiliano Fedriga, described the Milan connection as a key component of the region’s transportation network, particularly in the absence of high-speed rail.
“The truth is that today, if you want a fast connection, the only viable means is the plane,” Fedriga said. He noted that Milan Linate Airport’s direct metro connection to the city center makes it particularly attractive for business travelers. “Sometimes, if I calculate the journey from Ronchi dei Legionari to central Milan, you arrive faster than someone living in the suburbs of Milan who has to contend with city traffic.”
Fedriga argued that travel times are an important factor in attracting investment to Friuli Venezia Giulia, given Milan’s role as Italy’s financial and commercial hub.
Asked whether the region was continuing to press for a high-speed rail connection linking Trieste more efficiently with the rest of Italy, Fedriga expressed caution.
“We need to pursue it, but we also have to be honest that it is an extremely complicated mission,” he said. “Once planning decisions made years ago have been left behind, reopening those projects means restarting procedures, including at the international level.”
While the regional government continues to seek improvements to the existing rail network, Fedriga said he remains pessimistic about the prospects for a true high-speed rail line reaching Trieste. “I don’t want to raise anyone’s expectations,” he said.
Trieste Airport has experienced steady growth in recent years, increasing annual passenger numbers from about 700,000 eight years ago to more than 1.7 million, according to regional officials. Fedriga attributed the increase to investments in intermodal transportation, integrating rail services with the airport and expanding its role as a gateway not only for Friuli Venezia Giulia but also for neighboring Austria’s Carinthia region.
Cristina Amirante, the regional councillor for infrastructure and territory, said reliable air links are increasingly important as modernization work on Italy’s railway network continues to cause delays and disruptions.
“Ensuring territorial continuity is fundamental so that residents and workers can travel to and return from strategic hubs such as Milan and Rome within the same day,” Amirante said. She added that stronger air connections also enhance the region’s appeal for tourism and investment.
The Trieste-Linate route was previously operated by ITA Airways between September 2023 and March 2026, carrying more than 90,500 passengers during that period.
The new schedule includes two weekday flights in each direction. Flights will depart Trieste at 7:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., with return departures from Milan Linate at 9:35 a.m. and 8:15 p.m. A Sunday evening service will also operate. The route will be served by a 68-seat aircraft, with a reduced schedule during August. Residents of Friuli Venezia Giulia will be eligible for discounted fares under Italy’s territorial continuity program.
Regional officials also announced an expansion of seasonal summer flights. Beginning Aug. 1, Aeroitalia will operate services from Trieste to Olbia and Alghero in Sardinia, while the route to Salerno, introduced in May, will continue from July with twice-weekly flights.
