by InTrieste
Milan Malpensa Airport was officially renamed Aeroporto Internazionale Silvio Berlusconi on Friday, formalizing a decision that has divided politicians, local governments and public opinion since it was first proposed following the former prime minister’s death in 2023.
The ceremony marks the conclusion of more than two years of legal challenges over the naming of Italy’s second-busiest airport. Infrastructure and Transport Minister Matteo Salvini announced the date during a conference in Milan, describing the event as a tribute to Berlusconi, the late businessman, media executive and political leader whose career was closely associated with Lombardy.
A Proposal That Became a Political Flashpoint
The renaming initiative began shortly after Berlusconi died in June 2023, when Lombardy’s regional council approved a motion urging regional president Attilio Fontana to pursue the designation. Italy’s National Civil Aviation Authority, ENAC, formally approved the new name through a board resolution in July 2024.
The proposal immediately drew opposition from Milan’s mayor, Giuseppe Sala, who argued that naming a public airport after a figure whose name remains part of the symbol of an active political party, Forza Italia, risked politicizing infrastructure intended to serve all citizens.
Milan’s city government joined the municipalities of Cardano al Campo, Samarate and Somma Lombardo in challenging the decision before Lombardy’s Regional Administrative Court.
Courts Uphold ENAC’s Authority
The legal challenge was rejected at every stage.
In November 2024, the court declined to suspend ENAC’s decision, finding no grounds for precautionary intervention. A final ruling issued on April 23, 2026, dismissed the remaining appeals, concluding that ENAC had acted within its legal authority and that airport naming is primarily an honorary designation rather than a change in the ownership or status of public infrastructure.
Following the ruling, Sala announced that the city would not pursue further appeals, saying Milan had exercised its right to contest the decision and would accept the court’s judgment.
ENAC President Pierluigi Di Palma said the verdict confirmed the legality of both the authority’s resolution and the regulatory framework governing the naming of airports in Italy.
A Symbolic Milestone
The court’s decision prompted differing reactions from Berlusconi’s family. His daughters, Marina and Barbara Berlusconi, welcomed the ruling as recognition of their father’s contribution to Italy and his longstanding connection to Lombardy, while critics continued to question the appropriateness of honoring such a politically significant figure with a national public facility.
With all legal avenues exhausted, the airport’s updated signage has already been installed, and Thursday’s ceremony formally establishes the new name. ENAC’s special commissioner, Carlo Mearelli, recently expressed hope that the controversy would subside, describing the decision as political rather than technical and suggesting that the dispute had largely run its course.
The renaming closes one of Lombardy’s most closely watched civic and political disputes in recent years, even as it continues to reflect broader divisions over Berlusconi’s enduring legacy in Italian public life.
