Planespotting Milan Linate — LIML
Linate is Milan's city airport, just 7 km east of the centre and now linked to it by metro line M4. Its capacity is capped by law and it handles only domestic and European flights, so the schedule is dominated by ITA Airways — the airline's main operating base for the Rome shuttle and European business routes — plus the legacy carriers flying to their hubs. Being so close to the city, it is also the main business aviation airport for Milan, with a dedicated bizjet terminal on the west side and big peaks during fashion weeks, the furniture fair and the Monza Grand Prix. There is one main runway, 18/36, and runway 36 is preferred whenever the tailwind allows, so arrivals come in from the south over open fields. The north–south layout means the east side works in the morning and the west side in the afternoon. Ladders are forbidden and the fence has sensors, so a small-diameter lens through the mesh is the local technique.
Conditions right now
Runways
- 18/36 2,445 × 60 m · 8,022 × 197 ft asphalt
- 18L/36R 2,439 × 60 m · 8,002 × 197 ft closed
- 17/35 601 × 21 m · 1,972 × 69 ft asphalt
- 18R/36L 601 × 21 m · 1,972 × 69 ft closed
Ask the sky
What flew over this morning? Where was that loud one heading? Ask in plain words — the answer comes from real recorded traffic.
Airport profile
Typical traffic by hour
Relative intensity by local hour — a typical day, not live data.Peak: 07:00
Typical traffic mix
- Narrowbody74%
- Bizjet20%
- Turboprop2%
- GA2%
- Cargo1%
- Military1%
Spotter score
Our editorial rating (0–100).Best time of year
When the interesting traffic peaks.Where to spot
Canzo cemetery car park (Via IV Novembre, Mezzate)
A shaded car park by the fence on the east side, with every arrival and departure on 18/36 and aircraft on the parallel taxiway in front. You shoot through tight mesh, which is fiddly for runway shots, but locals wait under the trees and step up to the fence for each movement.
- Getting there
- From the terminal head east on the SP14, turn right onto the SP15b Via Arnoldo Mondadori, and 550 m after the roundabout west of Mezzate turn right into Via IV Novembre; the car park is at the end on the left. A taxi from the terminal is the car-free option.
- Best time
- Morning: from sunrise to about 11:00 in summer, only until about 09:00 in winter.
- Lens
- 35 mm for an A320 on the taxiway, about 150 mm on the runway; use a lens with a narrow front element.
Embankment south of Canzo (past the TNT building)
A grassy embankment near the southern end of the runway, high enough to see runway traffic clear of the fence. The summer grass is tall and full of insects, so wear long trousers.
- Getting there
- From the cemetery car park go round and take the second right, pass the TNT building and park in the large lot; climb the embankment but stay outside the fence.
- Best time
- All movements on 18/36, sunrise to about 11:00 in summer (09:00 in winter).
- Lens
- 50 mm for the taxiway, about 170 mm on the runway.
End of Via della Boscana (36 approach)
The corner where the fence path turns at the southern tip of the field, under the approach to runway 36. Just to the west a crash gate leaves a narrow gap for line-up shots with the Alps in the background on clear days.
- Getting there
- Walk south from the embankment, or drive back along Via IV Novembre, turn right into Via Fratelli Bandiera and right again into Via della Boscana; park at the end.
- Best time
- 36 arrivals from sunrise to about 11:00; line-ups through the gate from about 09:00 to 15:00 in summer and all day in winter.
- Lens
- 150–300 mm for arrivals, about 200 mm for line-ups.
Cycle path off Via Milano (west of the 36 threshold)
Where the cycle path meets the fence west of the runway's southern end, gaps between tall green posts let a lens through for runway 36 line-ups, again with the Alps behind. In the afternoon arrivals on 36 are lit from the side you stand on, and a few hundred metres north the angle on landings improves further.
- Getting there
- By car, take Via Walter Tobagi and Via Milano north and park by the entrance to the derelict farm past the houses. Bus 66 from Via Cadore in Milan stops on Via Milano (Via Milano C.na Boscana).
- Best time
- Line-ups from about 09:00 to sunset (east corner in the morning, roadside from midday); arrivals from about 13:00 to sunset.
- Lens
- About 200 mm for an A320 line-up, 80 mm on the runway further north.
Eastern fence via Via Traversi
A track along the east fence reached from Via Achille Grandi, where you can choose your position for runway and taxiway movements and part of the southern apron. Police and ground vehicles pass often; a friendly wave is usually all it takes.
- Getting there
- From the large roundabout on Via Achille Grandi take Via Traversi to the fence; park and walk, or drive along the fence track. Hotels and eateries on Via Achille Grandi are the nearest facilities.
- Best time
- Sunrise to midday. Heat haze and mosquitoes in summer.
- Lens
- 30–300 mm (a 737 on the runway about 150 mm, a Challenger on the taxiway about 60 mm).
Perimeter road in Linate village
Where the road through Linate village bends along the north-western fence, overlooking the taxiway that business jets use after landing to reach the bizjet terminal. During the Monza Grand Prix weekend helicopters stream in along the same line.
- Getting there
- Continue north on Via Milano through Linate village to where the road turns left along the fence and park on the shoulder. Bus 66 serves Via Milano.
- Best time
- From about midday, depending on the angle. Bring repellent in summer.
- Lens
- 70–100 mm.
Respect private property, signage and the airport security perimeter. Spotterra predicts the active runway from live weather on the dashboard.
What you'll see
ITA Airways provides most movements, with A220s, A319s and A320neos on the Rome Fiumicino shuttle, domestic routes to Sicily, Sardinia and the south, and European capitals. easyJet is the other big operator, while Lufthansa, Air France, KLM, British Airways, Iberia and SAS fly in from their hubs, and Aeroitalia and Volotea serve Italian destinations. Only European routes are permitted, so widebodies are essentially absent. Business aviation is a major part of the day — Falcon 7X/8X, Gulfstreams, Globals and Phenoms — with peaks during Milan Fashion Week, Salone del Mobile in April and the Monza Formula 1 weekend in September.
What actually flew over Milan Linate in the last 30 days
Measured from our own ADS-B data — not a schedule, but what really passed overhead.
- B738 23.7 %
- A320 15.1 %
- A21N 13.1 %
- TWEN 12.5 %
- P208 11.3 %
- B38M 8.9 %
- E195 8 %
- A20N 7.3 %
FAQ
What's that plane over Milan Linate?
Spotterra's live map shows every ADS-B aircraft over Milan in real time with type, registration and route — separating Linate shuttles from Malpensa long-haul and the bizjets heading for Linate Prime.
Which runway does Linate use?
Runway 18/36 handles all airline traffic, with 36 preferred unless the tailwind is too strong. That puts arrivals over the fields south of the airport around Canzo and Via della Boscana.
Can I use a ladder at LIML?
No — ladders are forbidden and the fence carries sensors, so avoid touching it. Locals shoot through the mesh with small-diameter lenses or from the embankment south of Canzo.
How do I get to Linate without a car?
Metro M4 runs from the city centre to the terminal. From Milan, bus 66 stops on Via Milano near the western spots; for the eastern side a short taxi ride is easiest.
Spotterra watches the sky over Milan Linate
A live ADS-B map of your area and smart alerts on military transports, warbirds and rare types — with 10–30 minutes lead on long-haul arrivals. Free forever, no card.
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