INTRODUCTION
Hello everyone,
As some of you may remember one of my first experience with Aeroitalia was a true pain. Back in April 2024 my flight from Rome to Bergamo was severed by a 7.5-hour delay due to aircraft issues.
The day after that unlucky flight I filed a complaint on Aeroitalia's website and a few days later they answered me offering a 300 euros coupon as compensation for the delay. In order to get the coupon I was requested to fill a form and send a scan of my ID. I did it the day after. From that moment they literaly disappear.
I spent one year sending e-mails and calling their telephone number. I got no answer from e-mails and every time I called they told me those kind of complaints were handled by e-mails only
On the 8th May 2025 I decided to send a certified email (known in Italy as PEC), a verified message working as a legal equivalent of a traditional registered mail. I explained all the situation, threatening legal action if I didn't get a reply within 14 days (à la guerre comme à la guerre) and putting on copy passenger protection and costumers associations.
In less than 6 hours they replied me, sending the coupon. Bad manners sometimes pays…
On the 14th June I searched some tickets to visit my family in early July, having planned to go on vacation the first two weeks of August
The solution costed me 160 euros of the 300 euros voucher
Leaving from MXP at 18:40 would have meant getting two hours of work permit to leave office at 15. From that time I'd have arrived in MXP around 16:30 where I would have left my car to my friend's house so she could bring me to the terminal before 17:00
ROUTING
Aeroitalia - Milan MXP > Rome FCO - Embraer E-190
Aeroitalia - Rome FCO > Milan MXP - Embraer E-190
Some stats:
14th out of 15 flights of 2025 (as of July 2025)
THE FLIGHT
On Friday afternoon I left the building site in San Pellegrino around 15
Even if it was still early the traffic was rising
From San Pellegrino to Malpensa the distance is around 105 km
The quickest way is driving on the A4 from Bergamo to Milan and than the A8 Milan-Varese motorway
Around 16:40 I arrived at my friend's house in Somma Lombarda, located a few kilometers north of MXP
While she was driving me to the airport we spotted a United Airlines 787 departing to Chicago-ORD
At 17:00, perfectly on time on my schedule, she dropped me off at Milan-Malpensa "Silvio Berlusconi" Airport
The departure lounge was pretty busy
The long drive to Malpensa is payed off by the large spotting opportunities
This is a thing that will always win 1-0 against FCO
The apron between the 3rd and the 2nd satellite
Pretty unusual sight…
Neos Boeing 787 getting prepared for its ride to Zanzibar-ZNZ
SunExpress Boeing 737 boarding to Antalya-AYT and Azores Airlines A321neo getting ready to go to Ponta Delgada-PDL
The apron between the 2nd and the 1st satellites looked busier
KlasJet 737 and EgyptAir A321neo, both bound to Cairo-CAI, and a couple of WizzAir A321neos
Lufthansa A319 and Ryanair 737MAX
Azores AIrlines A321neo and Ryanair 737MAX getting their way to the runway
Probably the strangest spot that afternoon: FlyKhiva Boeing 767F operated by Iceland air, just landed from Tashkent-TAS
This plane was originally delivered as a passenger plane to Britannia Airways
It operated from 1999 to 2022 with Garuda, Thomsonfly, Thomson Airways and TUI Airways before being converted into a freighter
After conversion, it flew under AerCap and Titan colours before being leased by Icelandair
Neos Dreamliner landing from Rome-FCO before flying to Almaty-ALA
After half a hour of profitable plane spotting I made my way to the security check-point
It took me 3 minutes to clear the inspection
Even if half of the lanes were opened everything was very efficient
Unexpectedly my flight would board from gate A2, a contact one
Interesting line up at the cargo apron:
MSC Air Cargo 777F, Turkmenistan Airlines A330F and National Airlines 747F
Korean Air Cargo 777F just landed from Vienna-VIE
Jet Aviation Flight Services 737 and SkyLane Cessna 182P
Condor A320 on its way to Frankfurt-FRA
Qatar Airways Cargo 777F just landed from Budapest-BUD
FedEx 767F departing to Paris-CDG
DHL A300F landing from Leipzig-LEJ
National Airlines 747F lining up for departure
Iberia A330 landing from Madrid-MAD
Definitely not usual on this route
Today's bird is the same that bring me back and forth to Rome one month before
Aeroitalia Embraer ERJ-190SR, SX-PTM
First delivery on 2nd May 2008 (17.1 years old, no infos about the first flight) to Baboo. It later flew for carriers like Azul and BA CityFlyer before entering Marathon Airlines fleet
It’s leased by Aeroitalia since March 2025
Can fly 100 passengers in full-Y configuration
Half a hour before scheduled departure the gate was opened
Mandatory fuselage shot
I wonder how long this livery will survive, considering that in June the Court of Rome has established the excessive similarity with the corporate identity of old Alitalia, requiring Aeroitalia to update the livery and logo by the end of 2025
Since the plane was full at 60% I searched for a window seat in the back of the plane
I decided to get on the D side for the take-off (to avoid sunset in my eyes) and A side for the flight (for the same reason)
I know my illness…
A Vueling A321 was standing next to us
Enter text here…
Boarding was called complete at 18:30
Ten minutes later, exactly at departure time, the plane was pushed back
MXP offers great shots for cargo enthusiasts
MSC Air Cargo 777F had arrived from Baky-GYD and departed to Hong Kong-HKG later that night
Turkmenistan Airlines A330F getting ready to return to Ashgabat-ASB
Korean Air Cargo 777F would return to Seoul-ICN later that evening
Qatar Airways Cargo 777F getting ready to fly home to Doha-DOH
DHL Aviation 757F would later fly to Leipzig-LEJ
First time I saw this plane in the red-and-yellow fleet
DHL A330F getting ready to reach London-LHR
Crossing Milan-Malpensa railway link while heading to runway 35R
At 18:58, eighteen minutes after scheduled, we rolled down the runway
And in the air, chased by our shadow
Malpensa access road and the construction site of the new rail link to Terminal 2
Gallarate
Leaving Malpensa behind
Climbing over Gallarate
Cairate Bridge, a concrete-arched bridge built in 1955 over the river Olona
A8-A9 motorways junction
Approaching Milan urban area
Rho area
Milan Fair complex
The former site of Expo 2015, now being part of a large development called MiND - Milano Innovation District
It will host offices, housing, university and a hospital
San Siro Stadium and the hippodrome
CityLife District with its distinctive towers: Allianz Tower (The Straight), PWC Tower (The Curved) and General Insurance Tower (The Twisted)
The latter had experienced a partial collapse of the signage on the roof a few days before
Leaving Milan behind
As sun was impeding me in taking good shots I moved on the other side of the plane
Crossing Po river while flying over Piacenza
Passing through some clouds
As we reached our cruise altitude the crew delivered some fresh water
That's the only service available on Aeroitalia at the moment
Arno River Valley, in Tuscany
40 minutes into the flight the cabin was set for landing
Meanwhile we had reached Tyrrean coast, just below the border between Tuscany and Lazio
Torrevaldaliga Power Plant and Civitavecchia Harbour
Bracciano Lake, 30 km north of Rome
Bracciano town, dominated by Orsini-Odescalchi Castle
The countryside north of Fiumicino Airport in its best lighting
Aranova town
Crossing A12 motorway
We'd land from runway 16L
Chasing our sunset
At 19:52, three minutes in advance, we touched down at Rome "Leonardo Da Vinci" Airport
The brake was so heavy we're able to vacate at the first rapid exit taxiway, usually skipped by class-C aircraft
WizzAir A321 landed behind us
I saw more cargo planes on this flight than in my entire life
UPS 777F at the freight apron
Ten minutes after touching down we blocked at a remote stand
Disembark was started in not time
Parking at the remote in FCO means always a passage by the Alitalia 77s cemetery…
Stepping inside the terminal 20 minutes after landing
Even if the reservation and the boarding pass showed "Terminal 3" as arrival area, we're disembarked at Terminal 1
Fortunately for all passengers it doesn't pose a great issue, considering they're both connected landside and airside
I made my way to the departure road were my parents were waiting for me
We left the airport around 20:25 and in twenty minutes I finally arrived home
Stay tuned for the return flight
FLIGHTRADAR
Ciao Carlo, thanks for sharing. A basic offering, but empty cabin and golden hour views along the Tyrrhenian coast compensates for the lack of service.
Not unexpected behavior from a LCC, reluctant to avoid paying compensation unless pushed to the limit. Only had to deal with EU261 once and it was fortunately paid automatically likely due to US-carriers wanting to avoid this level of legal exposure.
While the check-in hall offers expansive apron views, I find the airside to be fairly restrictive especially near the A pier.
Since ITA already represents the Azzurri maybe they can make a pink fuselage in honor of Palermo^^
Hey :)
Yeah, totally the best time of the day to fly over Italy
I was really upset by Aeroitalia behaviour regarding this compensation, if I knew it would have been that easy I would have send the certified email much earlier
I agree, MXP airside lacks of large windows, but fortunately the proximity of the terminal with the runway gives good sights from the check in hall too
That’s the main issue with FCO, which both lacks of very large windows and terminals (especially T1) are quite far from the runway
They’d look curiously great to see
Watching the latest tennis results I’d suggest them to paint them in orange for Jannik, but I’m afraid someone would mistakenly think about the American orange-haired guy ahaha
Or confusion with KLM special liveries