Milan’s main airport is renamed after Silvio Berlusconi – but his family isn’t happy

There was widespread anger when the plan was first announced

Milan’s Malpensa Airport, Italy’s second-busiest passenger airport, is being renamed for the billionaire businessman-turned-politician Silvio Berlusconi (Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

The family of former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi say they were not consulted on the decision to rename Milan’s main airport after him and recognises that the timing was not good.

Milan’s Malpensa Airport, Italy’s second-busiest passenger airport, was officially named in honour of the centre-right politician earlier this month, barely a year after his death.

The decision was rubber-stamped by Transport Minister Matteo Salvini, leader of the far-right League party. Berlusconi’s son, Pier Silvio, said the family was happy at any honour bestowed on his father but had had no say in the matter.

“To be blunt, the method wasn’t exactly perfect, both in terms of timing and the way it was done. It was obvious it would cause a controversy,” he told reporters at the headquarters of MFE-MediaforEurope, the media firm founded by his father.

“As a family, we were not involved in the process and we were informed at the very last minute,” he added.

Eleonora Berlusconi, Barbara Berlusconi, Marina Berlusconi, Pier Silvio Berlusconi and Luigi Berlusconi on the day of the state funeral of former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi outside the Duomo Cathedral, in Milan, Italy June 14, 2023 (REUTERS)

Milan’s centre-left Mayor Beppe Sala led widespread criticism of the move, while opponents launched a petition to try to get the decision reversed.

“I was annoyed by the controversy, and even more by those who exploited it for political reasons,” Berlusconi said, referring to Sala.

In Italy, there is usually a 10-year moratorium following someone’s death before a public place can be named after them, but this was ignored in the case of Malpensa.

Many of Italy’s other major airports are named after famous historical figures, such as Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci airport and Venice’s Marco Polo airport.

Palermo airport is named after two prosecutors murdered by the mafia in 1992 -- Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino.

Marco Grimaldi, an MP with the Green and Left Alliance, said there were “non-shabby” Milan-born figures who the airport could be named after.

He said: “Who knows if minister Salvini is aware that Rome’s Fiumicino airport is named after Leonardo da Vinci, Venice’s after Marco Polo, and Genoa’s after Christopher Columbus. Then there’s Sandro Pertini for Turin airport, Catullus for Verona, Marconi for Bologna, Galileo for Pisa and last but not least Falcone and Borsellino for Palermo.

“I for one would be ashamed to take a flight from Falcone and Borsellino airport and land at Silvio Berlusconi airport.”

The Berlusconi family is the main financial backer of the Forza Italia party, founded by Silvio Berlusconi, which is part of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s ruling coalition.

Pier Silvio Berlusconi dismissed media speculation that he planned to emulate his father and enter politics.