ROME, July 6 (Bernama-dpa) -- The main international airport in the northern Italian city of Milan will in future bear the name of the late former prime minister and media tycoon Silvio Berlusconi, reported German news agency (dpa).
Milan Malpensa Airport, which lies about 50 kilometres outside of the city, will officially be called Aeroporto Silvio Berlusconi.
Right-wing Transport Minister Matteo Salvini announced the name change on Friday following a decision on the matter by the Italian aviation authority ENAC.
But Milan Mayor Beppe Sala, a centre-left politician, insists that the airport's name cannot be changed because of a rule that public buildings and squares may only be named after a famous person 10 years after their death.
Berlusconi, who served four times as prime minister despite his many scandals, died in June 2023 at the age of 86.
He was born in Milan in 1936. The flamboyant property developer-turned-media mogul founded his own conservative party, Forza Italia, in the 1990s and moved into politics. He was also at the helm of the AC Milan football club for many years.
Three airports serve Milan: Malpensa, the smaller Linate Airport, and the provincial airport of Milan-Bergamo.
There had also been discussions of naming Linate after Berlusconi.
Last month, the Milan City Council blocked plans for a Silvio Berlusconi square. Sala said: "Rules are there to be respected."
-- BERNAMA-dpa
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