Malpensa Terminal 1 Expansion Opens First Phase in Summer 2027

Milan Malpensa is spending 100 million euros to extend Terminal 1, and the part travelers will notice most, a doubled passport control area, is due to open in summer 2027. The whole project, called T1XL, is scheduled to finish in 2028.

The Italian trade daily Travel Quotidiano set out the plan on September 21, quoting the airport operator Sea. If Milan is your destination rather than a connection, our guide to things to do in Milan covers the city end of the trip.

Inside the T1XL Extension

The extension adds 15,000 square meters to Terminal 1, which Travel Quotidiano describes as a building of about 30,000 square meters today. It is aimed squarely at passengers arriving from or leaving for countries outside the Schengen area, the group that has to clear passport control at Malpensa.

Alongside the border control space, the plan adds baggage reclaim belts, more waiting area with shops and places to eat, and more queuing room, which Travel Quotidiano links to tighter European border rules. The Italian news agency ANSA, reporting on the same plan on September 17, put the work at more than 100 million euros and added that more than 28,000 square meters of existing terminal is being renovated alongside the new build, with construction under way since December 2025.

Passport Control Doubles in Summer 2027

Sea chief executive Armando Brunini said the company has added 15,000 square meters and will double the passport processing zone, according to Travel Quotidiano. That zone is the first phase, scheduled for summer 2027, which means the queues most likely to eat into a connection should ease a year before the rest of the project is finished.

Until then, nothing changes in the terminal. Passengers arriving from outside Europe in the 2026 and early 2027 seasons face the same border control capacity as today, so keep the same buffer you would use now, particularly on a tight transfer to a domestic or Schengen flight. Travelers who clear passport control at a different European airport before flying on to Milan are not affected by the Malpensa queue at all.

Traffic Beyond Europe Drives the Plan

Brunini said Malpensa has more than 200 direct flights to over 80 countries and that 40% of its traffic is outside Europe, per Travel Quotidiano, which is the case Sea makes for spending on border control rather than on gates alone. Sea president Michaela Castelli spoke about innovation and service quality expectations for the airport.

ANSA quoted Brunini describing the project as increasing space, capacity and service quality with particular attention to international passengers and traffic flows. Neither report gives a new annual passenger capacity figure for Terminal 1, so there is no published number for how many more travelers the building is meant to handle. Travel Quotidiano also notes Sea’s framing of Malpensa as the country’s gateway airport, a claim about position rather than a measured capacity target.

What It Means for Your Connection

The practical planning points are unchanged for now. Terminal 1 is Malpensa’s main terminal, and Terminal 2 is a separate building reached by shuttle, so confirm which one your flight uses before booking an airport transfer or a nearby hotel. Allow the shuttle time if you connect between them, and note that a change of terminal usually means leaving security and clearing it again.

Travelers heading to Milan around the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Games in February should expect an unusually busy airport, since Malpensa is the main international gateway for the event. Build in extra time at passport control on arrival, book transfers in advance, and confirm the pickup point, because the building work is concentrated on one side of Terminal 1. Anyone with a flexible date who wants the new facilities rather than the construction should look at summer 2027 or later.