London City Airport (LCY) today has welcomed the return of flights to Milan Linate, as the city-centre hub seizes on pent-up consumer demand to revitalise its short-haul connections, following the lifting of international travel restrictions.
ITA Airways, Italy’s flag-carrier, will begin operating a triple-daily service (18 weekly) from LCY to Milan Linate Airport from March 28th, 2022.
The move to restart flights follows the European Council’s recommendation that all fully vaccinated British travellers will be allowed into the European Union (EU) without pre-departure tests.
Children aged six to 18 who have not been fully vaccinated will also be allowed to travel into EU countries provided they have a negative pre-departure PCR test.
The route cements tourist and business links between two of Europe’s primary financial hubs.
At its peak in 2018, 360,000 passengers flew between the airports, particularly business travellers from large corporations, including JP Morgan, Barclays and Credit Suisse.
Milan is also a popular destination for leisure passengers due to its wide variety of cultural and historical tourist attractions, including the Duomo di Milano and the San Siro football stadium.
The re-opening of one of London City’s most popular routes is the latest show of confidence in the resilience of its key leisure and business network.
The airport is reinstating 95% of its top-performing pre-pandemic routes.
Barcelona will return to the network for the first time in almost a decade, while new routes, such as Thessaloniki, join established summer favourites like Split, Mykonos and Faro for summer 2022.
The upturn in confidence at the airport reflects the easing of travel restrictions and the proactive role LCY has played to work with and support its airline partners, as the industry continues to bounce back from the effects of the pandemic.
London City Airport Chief Commercial Officer, Richard Hill, said: “We’re delighted to announce the return of flights to Milan, which has historically been one of the most popular business and leisure destinations from our airport.
“Our recovery is going from strength to strength, as the sector builds back confidence after a difficult period for aviation and international travel.
“We’re so excited to be able to help quench passengers’ untapped thirst for travel this summer.”
