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One of Italy's busiest airports is finishing a major upgrade just days before the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games begin. Malpensa Airport, which is widely used by British holidaymakers travelling to Milan and the Italian lakes, has been undergoing extensive improvements since June last year.

The work began after the airport announced a €30 million (£26m) investment last spring to prepare Terminal 1 for the arrival of athletes, delegations and thousands of spectators. The Games start on February 6, and most of the essential upgrades are now expected to be in place before the opening ceremony. But there is also a much wider and more expensive plan in place for 2026 and beyond.

In 2025, planners predicted that the airport would face summer-level traffic during what is normally a quiet winter period.

Malpensa is the Primary Olympic Airport, handling around 73% of all participating nations with direct flights. More than 150,000 spectators and 15,500 accredited Olympic personnel are due to land in the week leading up to the Games.

By the summer of 2025, the airport had already begun redesigning its main arrival and departure areas.

New green spaces, modern seating with charging points and improved lighting were introduced to create a more organised welcome zone for teams and visitors. A dedicated handling area for oversized sports luggage, including skis up to 270cm long, was also built to cope with peak volumes.

A spokesperson told the International Airport Review last year that further work would include better routes for passengers with reduced mobility and the removal of all remaining access barriers around Terminal 1.

Additional Olympic-related upgrades included a new bus parking area next to the rail station, redesigned passenger flows, and improvements to the passport control zones. Automatic doors at all main entrances were also replaced as part of a wider refresh of the terminal's design.

Work has continued into late 2025, when Malpensa confirmed that a much larger expansion plan had officially launched. Alessandro Fidato, Chief Operating Officer for SEA Milan Airports, wrote in the International Airport Review that the Terminal 1 Extension Project (T1XL) would add new space, more capacity and a long-term redesign of Extra-Schengen facilities.

The €85million (£74million) project will expand passport control by adding more queuing areas, significantly more manual booths and up to 150% more automated e-gates.

Baggage reclaim for Extra-Schengen arrivals will also grow from five to eight carousels, including a dedicated belt for oversized items.

At the departures level, passengers will see a new waiting area with seating, screens, restrooms and food and retail options. It is designed to support future terminal expansions and act as a key junction for long-haul flights.

Although construction of the full T1XL extension is due to continue until 2028, the airport has planned its schedule to avoid disruption during the Olympics. The early phases, including widening corridors, improving circulation areas and preparing new operational zones, have already been delivered.

The wider redesign includes new retail units, upgraded shopping areas, improved security facilities and a fresh architectural look with curved glass corners, bronzed cladding and energy-efficient glazing.

Sustainability is also a major feature. The terminal will include LED systems, water-saving fixtures and a new photovoltaic installation. Accessibility will improve through clearer routes, better signage and fully equipped restrooms for families and passengers with additional needs.

Digital upgrades will include more automated border gates, live queue-monitoring technology and dynamic digital signs to manage passenger flow in real time.