One of the key factors in the sustainable development of our airports (in particular Malpensa), highlighted in the new materiality matrix, relates to land use efficiency, which translates into a commitment to assess and implement technological solutions and processes that allow an increase in the operational capacity of our airports without physically expanding the infrastructure outside of the currently occupied area.
Land use efficiency at various European airports
| AIRPORT | SUP (ha) | RUNWAYS | PAX | MOV | CARGO (tons) | WLU | WLU/SUP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MXP | 1,220 | 2 | 24,716,236 | 189,910 | 558,220 | 30,298,436 | 24,835 |
| CPH | 1,180 | 3 | 30,259,335 | 258,673 | 356,343 | 33,822,765 | 28,663 |
| MAN | 800 | 2 | 28,355,109 | 192,328 | 114,132 | 29,496,429 | 36,871 |
| LHR | 1,227 | 2 | 80,126,856 | 475,624 | 1,685,137 | 96,978,226 | 79,037 |
| FRA | 2,100 | 4 | 69,510,269 | 500,886 | 2,086,593 | 90,376,199 | 43,036 |
| MUC | 1,575 | 2 | 46,253,523 | 392,238 | 351,547 | 49,768,993 | 31,599 |
| CDG | 3,238 | 4 | 72,226,878 | 480,940 | 1,984,797 | 92,074,848 | 28,436 |
| VIE | 1,000 | 2 | 27,037,187 | 239,275 | 215,920 | 29,196,387 | 29,196 |
| AMS | 2,787 | 6 | 71,053,147 | 499,449 | 1,708,131 | 88,134,457 | 31,623 |
| ATH | 1,650 | 2 | 24,133,438 | 198,269 | 84,654 | 24,979,978 | 15,139 |
| LGW | 674 | 1 | 46,076,363 | 282,493 | 112,677 | 47,203,133 | 70,034 |
| FCO | 1,588 | 4 | 42,991,056 | 304,969 | 199,622 | 44,987,276 | 28,329 |
| MAD | 4,000 | 4 | 57,861,414 | 394,373 | 518,858 | 63,049,994 | 15,762 |
Source: SEA on ACI Europe, Airport Traffic Report December, Q4, H2 & Full Year 2018 data (traffic indicators) and data extrapolated from analysed airport manager websites (overground)
Land consumption EFFICIENCY
Source: SEA on ACI Europe, Airport Traffic Report December, Q4, H2 & Full Year 2018 data (traffic indicators) and data extrapolated from analysed airport manager websites (overground)
In comparison with various other major European airports, Malpensa currently has one of the lowest land use efficiencies (in terms of hectares per reference year movements), along with Athens and Madrid. One of the reasons is certainly the infrastructure’s underuse. Indeed, current operational capacities, on the same occupied grounds, have the potential to grow by up to 50% more, as highlighted by the Master Plan Guidelines. Another aspect is evidenced by UK airports, which combine capacity saturation with an optimized design and layout of occupied areas.
In any case, such reflections highlight the importance of careful planning for the growth of our airport’s capacity in terms of land use.