INTRODUCTION
As I returned home after summer vacation I took some time to plan some visits to my family for the rest of 2025
On the 23rd August I booked the following weeknds:
13rd-14th September in Pescara, flying from Malpensa with Ryanair
7th-9th November in Rome, flying from Malpensa with Aeroitalia
5th-8th December in Rome, flying from Linate with ITA Airways
I payed 120 euros each for the first and the third one, while for the Aeroitalia flights I used 105 euros of the remaining 140 in the coupon I got last May
On Saturday 14th September my flight to Pescara was scheduled for 8:45 in the morning, meaning I was supposed to wake up at 4 am, leave home around 5 and drive to Malpensa, arriving approximately around 6:30. I got a long term parking there
I actually woke up at 4 am as planned, but stupidly fell asleep again, waking up at 7:10!!! No need to say I didn't try at all to catch it, considering the 105-km ride separating my house and MXP…
Since my parents were quite sad about the missing opportunity they offered me to get a flight for the following weekend
Even if most solutions were worth 200 euros we ended up finding this option for 122 euros:
Usually I prefer to leave on Friday and land back to Milan much later (around 22), but it was a forced choice
Departing from Linate at 9:00 implied leaving my house no later than 6:30, considering at that time the drive is 45-50 minutes only. Moreover, the long term parking at LIN is linked to the Terminal by a 7 minutes walk, dropping away the shuttle's waiting time
ROUTING
ITA Airways - Milan-Linate LIN > Rome-Fiumicino FCO Airbus A319
ITA Airways - Rome-Fiumicino FCO > Milan-Linate LIN Airbus A220-100
Some stats:
20th flight of 2025 (as of September)
Overall great-circle distance flown in 2025 (as of the reported flight): 31.324 km | 16.914 nm
10th time on LIN-FCO route
BEFORE THE FLIGHT
24 hours before the flight I was able to check-in on ITA Airways app
Luckily I got assigned a window seat
THE FLIGHT
In order to catch the flight at 9 am I left my house around 6
This time I put twice the alarm clocks and put the phone far from bed, for safety…
By that time the motorway entering Milan was quite empty
Linate Airport is one mile away from Milan Eastern Ring Road (called "Tangenziale")
Minutes before 7 am I drived inside Milan-Linate Airport
The day before I had booked the official long term parking
From there a bus is available, however having almost two hours before the flight I walked to the terminal
It took 10 minute and the pathway was easily signed
I got breakfast, spent some time chilling at the bar and jumped outside to smoke a cigarette before accessing security
Around 8 I showed up at the inspection area
The control took less than 5 minutes, due to advanced machines
Gate A18 for me, a contact one
The apron was dominated by ITA Airways
My Airbus A320 with an ITA and Aeroitalia's lineup
A220s and A320s
Holding the memory of "King" Giorgio Armani, who had passed away two weeks before
An elegant A220 pulling in
Arriving at the gate at 8:20, already set for boarding
My ride for today:
ITA Airways Airbus A319, EI-IMO
First flight on 24th June 2002 (23.2 years old) and delivered to Alitalia in July 2002, before being transferred to ITA
It's the oldest aircraft operating for ITA Airways
Equipped with 144 seats in mixed C-Y configuration, it's dedicated to Adriano Panatta, one of the strongest Italian tennis players
I flew this plane on the same route and back on April 2022
Boarding started moments before 8:30
I was among the first stepping onboard
Alitalia's brand is slowly making it's return with banners accompanying ITA's logo
Rumors say it will be restored in the next years on long-haul routes while ITA Airways will be focused on domestic and European routes
Who knows, surely everything of this is very italian…
The plane is showing its age, but overall still looks good inside
I wondered when it will be phased out
Another A319 had pulled in next to us
The plane looked full
At 8:45 boarding was declared complete
Leaving the stand five minutes before scheduled departure
A nice line up of private jets
VistaJet Bombardier Global 6000
Small Fly Beech B200C Super King Air
Transwing Cessna Citation M2
Leader Dassault Falcon 2000
Lining up seven minutes after scheduled
And taking off immediately after
Linate Airport apron with Idroscalo lake behind
The terminal building
Idroscalo is a 1.6-sqkm artificial lake constructed in 1930 as a seaplane airport
The headquarters of IBM Italy (left) and Mondadori (right), the largest oublishing company in Italy
The latter was designed by Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer
Linate Airport as we pointed our nose southward
Climbing over Pianura Padana and crossing the Po river
Piacenza-San Damiano Military Airport (ICAO: LIMS) and Nure river
Berceto toll plaza on A15 La Spezia-Parma motorway
A15 motorway cuts in half the Appenines, connect the Tyrrean seaport of La Spezia to Pianura Padana
The motorway is characterized by tunnels and high viaducts as the Gravagna one
Approaching the Tyrrean sea
La Spezia seaport
Carrara's marble quarries dominating the sea towns of Massa and Carrara
Twenty minutes into the flight beverage service was delivered, accompanied by a butter cookie
I got a coffee, which was very good in quality (more than expected)
The biscuit was pleasant in taste too
Viareggio, known for its marvelous carnival
Pisa, with the Arno river flowing into the Tyrrean Sea
Pisa Airport "Galileo Galilei" (IATA: PSA, ICAO: LIRP)
Pisa city center
The Baptistery, the Cathedral and the Leaning Tower
Livorno
Rosignano Solvay, a 19th Century planned city build around the Solvay's chemical plant
Despite its tropical appearance, the infamous White Beach is the result of decades of calcium carbonate produced by the industry
Piombino seaport
Elba Island visible in the distance
Mount Argentario with Giglio Island in the background
Montalto di Castro power plant
Initially planned as to produce nuclear energy, its construction was halted by 1987 referendum and later converted into a gas plant
As we pointed to the airport we spot Civitavecchia's harbour
Apparently we'd land from north
Some route adjustments on our way to FCO
Flaps down
Landing on runway 16L
At 9:54, sixteen minutes earlier than scheduled, we smoothly touched down at Rome-Fiumicino "Leonardo da Vinci" International Airport
Runway 25, primary dedicated to departures
Qatar Airways A350 about to depart to Doha-DOH
SkyAlps Dash 8-400 taxiing to depart to Verona-VRN
Docking at pier A31-52 next to an European lineup: Transavia 737, Swiss and Lufthansa A321s
Deboarding started quite quickly
Being the gate the first one of the pier it took no time to reach the exit, where my family was waiting for me
FLIGHT RADAR
Departure from LIN
Arrival in FCO
