Planes over Milan right now
Milan has three airports around it, so the sky over the city is busy all day.
Closest planes right now
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Live ADS-B positions within 50 km of central Milan, updated every few seconds. Rings every 10 km.
Airports near Milan
| Airport | Code | Distance from the centre |
|---|---|---|
| Milano Linate Airport | LIN / LIML | 7 km east |
| Milan Malpensa International Airport | MXP / LIMC | 40 km north-west |
| Il Caravaggio International Airport | BGY / LIME | 46 km north-east |
What you see in the sky over Milan
Linate is only about 7 km from the Duomo, so planes landing and taking off there fly low over the eastern side of the city: Città Studi, Lambrate, Forlanini and Segrate see them a few hundred metres up. Most are short European and domestic flights, with lots of ITA Airways A320s and Embraers.
Malpensa, about 40 km north-west, is the long-haul airport. Its departures and arrivals mostly stay over Varese and the Ticino valley, but higher up you will see wide-bodies like the Emirates A380 to Dubai and flights to New York, Asia and Africa. Bergamo Orio al Serio, to the east, is a big Ryanair base, so lots of Boeing 737s.
High above all that, Milan sits under busy routes between northern Europe and Italy, the Mediterranean and the Middle East, so cruising jets at 10,000 m or more cross the city all day.
Typical traffic
- Linate to Rome Fiumicino, the busiest route in Italy
- Linate to London, Paris, Amsterdam and Frankfurt
- Malpensa to Dubai, New York and the Gulf hubs
- Bergamo to dozens of low-cost European destinations
Questions about planes over Milan
Why are planes flying so low over east Milan?
They are taking off from or landing at Linate, which is right next to the city. Below about 1,000 m, a plane over Città Studi, Lambrate or Forlanini is almost always on its way into or out of Linate.
Which airport is a plane over Milan going to?
Low and slow on the east side: Linate. Low to the north-west: Malpensa. Low to the north-east: Bergamo. Anything high and steady is usually just passing over. Tap a plane on the map to see its route.
Point your phone at it
JetDex is our upcoming app: point your phone at a plane over Milan and it tells you exactly which flight it is. Collect the planes you see and race your friends.