Lufthansa-Group carrier Austrian Airlines will relocate its four-times-daily Vienna–Milan operation from Malpensa to the city-centre Linate Airport on 26 October 2025, the first day of the IATA winter season. The switch, enabled by slots transferred from sister carrier ITA Airways after its equity integration into the group, cuts the door-to-downtown travel time for business travellers by up to 45 minutes.
Austrian says the move aligns its Milan service pattern with other Lufthansa-Group airlines and improves bankable connections at Vienna for long-haul itineraries to Asia and North America. In parallel, the airline will raise Vienna–Rome rotations to three daily, giving corporates an early-morning arrival in the Italian capital and a late-evening return.
The changes coincide with the full introduction of Austrian’s new Airbus A320neo cabin, equipped with larger overhead bins and USB-C power at every seat, features welcomed by frequent flyers. From a mobility-policy angle, the Vienna hub offers relocating staff a Schengen mid-point that can ease visa-tier connection issues compared with transiting non-EU hubs.
Travel managers should update city-pair budgets: fares filed for the new VIE-LIN market open 2 % lower than the Malpensa service to stimulate demand, but ground-transport savings could be higher depending on taxi use.
Austrian says the move aligns its Milan service pattern with other Lufthansa-Group airlines and improves bankable connections at Vienna for long-haul itineraries to Asia and North America. In parallel, the airline will raise Vienna–Rome rotations to three daily, giving corporates an early-morning arrival in the Italian capital and a late-evening return.
The changes coincide with the full introduction of Austrian’s new Airbus A320neo cabin, equipped with larger overhead bins and USB-C power at every seat, features welcomed by frequent flyers. From a mobility-policy angle, the Vienna hub offers relocating staff a Schengen mid-point that can ease visa-tier connection issues compared with transiting non-EU hubs.
Travel managers should update city-pair budgets: fares filed for the new VIE-LIN market open 2 % lower than the Malpensa service to stimulate demand, but ground-transport savings could be higher depending on taxi use.
