18.06.25

ENAC AND MILAN BERGAMO AIRPORT HOST THE ICAO WORKING GROUP ON ASSISTANCE TO AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT VICTIMS

From 16 to 18 June, at Milan Bergamo Airport, Italy had the honour of hosting a meeting of the ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) Working Group dedicated to Assistance to Aircraft Accident Victims and their Families (AAAVF).

The event was made possible through the deep collaboration between ENAC (the Italian Civil Aviation Authority), the “8 ottobre 2001” committee and SACBO, the company operating Bergamo airport.

The meeting saw the participation of a large group of experts and professionals from all over the world, as well as representatives from all sector organisations: regulatory bodies, the aviation industry and victim family associations. It was an opportunity for wide-ranging and in-depth exchange that carried forward the revision process for the international regulatory framework on assistance, as well as to identify the best practices to be adopted to assist States and sector operators to implement solid and effective programmes related to aircraft accidents.

The meeting began with one minute’s silence in honour of the victims of the Air India AI 171 accident, followed by greetings from Roberta Carli, the Territorial Director of ENAC, engineer Amelia Corti, Managing Director of SACBO, and Adele Scarani Pesapane, President of the “8 ottobre 2001” committee.

The event was moderated by Fabiola Cardea, the Safety Director of ENAC and rapporteur of the Working Group, and by Lorenzo Mantegazza, a member of the group, councillor from the “8 ottobre 2001” committee and Security Manager for SACBO.

The three-day meeting saw participants exchanging experience, operational approaches and guidelines, with the aim of improving practical assistance to victims and their families in crisis situations. The results of the sessions will be presented and discussed during the upcoming General Assembly of ICAO, which is due to take place in September 2025.

The event ended with a visit to the memorial dedicated to the Linate aircraft accident, the Bosco dei Faggi, situated in Forlanini Park in Milan, in the presence of the families of the 8th of October 2001 victims. It was a moment of intense humanity and emotion, demonstrating the significant and ongoing commitment of Italy to this theme, contributing with devotion, experience and awareness to the bolstering of international policies for assistance to aircraft accident victims and their families.

18.06.25

ON THE RUNWAY WITH SACBO: A FIRST-HAND EXPERIENCE OF THE AIRPORT FOR YOUNGSTERS FROM ON THE ROAD

An exclusive experience at Milan Bergamo Airport for some of the approximately80 youngsters from the 18th summer edition of the project. A collaboration that began more than ten years ago.

A morning of practical experience with runways, safety systems and airport logistics for 15 youngsters from the On the Road project held at Orio al Serio Airport during the week from 9 to 15 June, thanks to the more than ten-year collaboration with SACBO.

Welcomed by the Commercial Director Giacomo Cattaneo, the participants took part in a welcome operational briefing, followed by speeches from Alberto Cominassi, Chief Operating Officer, and Lorenzo Mantegazza, Security Manager, who illustrated the functions of the various departments as well as airport security protocols.

The experience continued with an exclusive tour of the airport perimeter, during which the youngsters - aged between 16 and 19 - were given a close-up view of the operations of one of the most important airports in Italy.

The activities with SACBO form part of the 18th summer edition of the Ragazzi On the Road project based in the province of Bergamo, which takes approximately 80 youngsters on a practical training course with Local Police, Law Enforcement, rescue workers and emergency operators.

The collaboration between On the Road and SACBO, which began more than ten years ago, represents a positive example of educational cooperation, bringing together institutions, the community and the airport world to raise more aware and responsible citizens.

04.06.25

NEW CUSTOMS AREAS FOR THE BERGAMO CUSTOMS OFFICE INAUGURATED

Thanks to collaboration between SACBO and the Bergamo Customs and Monopolies Agency (ADM), new Customs Areas have been inaugurated in Via Paderno 62, 24068 Seriate (BG) in the heart of the Logistic Park at Milan Bergamo Airport.

The new areas will be dedicated to customs clearance and control of goods transported by road with a view to rationalising and increasing the efficiency of logistics operations.

The consolidated collaboration between SACBO and ADM is an ongoing driver for the economic and social development of the Bergamo area, with a view to the shared goal of guaranteeing ever higher standards of effectiveness and efficiency for the services provided.

28.05.25

THE INAUGURATION OF THE NEW CHECK-IN AREA AT MILAN BERGAMO AIRPORT

On Wednesday 28 May, SACBO, the company operating Milan Bergamo Airport, inaugurated the new check-in area that comes as an expansion of the existing space dedicated to passenger and baggage check-in operations. The new space comes as part of the programme of works to expand the departures area of the passenger terminal, allowing for the provision, from the beginning of December 2025, of a new security check area equipped with latest-generation X-ray machines that is currently under construction on the level above the check-in area.

The new check-in area has been equipped with 30 new desks, of which 22 offer “self-service bag drop”, allowing passengers to autonomously check-in luggage, in addition to 8 traditional desks, joining the existing 34 (28 traditional + 6 self-service), for a total of 64 desks. The two lines of check-in desks are accompanied by two overhead high-resolution LED monitors that provide an improved real-time view of flights, with indication of departure time and gate, and permit energy savings of 30% in comparison to back-lit LCD monitors. The entire check-in area is equipped with stereoscopic sensors that monitor waiting times for check-in operations.

The works to expand the eastern section of the passenger terminal, which will be completed in December 2025, have seen an investment by SACBO of EUR 41 million of its own resources, assigned via call for tender. The opening of the new check-in area has been accompanied by the expansion of the X-ray control system for hold baggage (BHS), for a total of 3,720 additional square metres on the ground floor. The terminal road and pedestrian access network has also been modernised, including longer and wider pavements in front of the departures area.

“The expansion of the check-in area marks a fundamental stage in the airport infrastructure adaptation programme, providing an increasingly effective response to operational requirements, rendering passenger reception and accessibility more comfortable and also benefiting staff operations”, stressed Giovanni Sanga, the president of SACBO. “The new areas have been designed to embrace the digital transformation and technological evolution of the check-in process. This will allow us to speed up operations, guaranteeing security and precision, and we are currently setting up the new security check area on the upper floor, which, within the next six months, will mark a further improvement in quality for our airport, consolidating passenger satisfaction and the role the airport plays in international aviation”.

08.05.25

SACBO CONVENTION ON CONSTRUCTIVE COLLABORATION IN SAFETY & SECURITY ORGANISATION MODELS

SACBO, as part of its community education activities, promoted the “SAFETY & SECURITY: CONSTRUCTIVE COLLABORATION IN ORGANISATION MODELS” convention that took place at the Giovanni XXIII Congress Centre in Bergamo. The convention, introduced by the president Giovanni Sanga and conducted by the lawyer Roberto Magri, president of the Supervisory Board of the company operating Milan Bergamo Airport, saw contributions from university professors, legal and tax experts, and SACBO safety & security management.

The theme of the administrative liability of the airport operator has particular effect on safety & security activities, requiring organisational models that are up to date, based on criteria of reliability and adapted to risk assessments. In this light, synergies developed in terms of existing control protocols in the organisational structures involved in various areas related to airport safety & security are of particular strategic importance.

Italian legislative decree 231, which introduced the adoption of an Organisation, Management and Control Model, highlights the need to implement actions to ensure cyber-security and protection against cybercrimes, bearing in mind the reliance of the airport sector on increasingly sophisticated software and the gradual introduction of artificial intelligence systems.

Airport safety concerns the full range of measures and procedures aimed at guaranteeing safety in aviation operations, from planning to implementation, with the aim of minimising risks and protecting both people and structures. Security concerns the prevention and combating of offences that potentially compromise the security of the civil aviation system.

“Safety and security are two concepts on which the development of aviation activity is based”, stressed Giovanni Sanga, President of SACBO, during his introductory speech. “They are of particular importance in terms of airport infrastructure, forming a daily component of anyone in a position of responsibility within th airport. Safety and security activities require organisational models that are up to date, based on criteria of reliability and adapted to risk assessments. In this light, synergies developed in terms of existing control protocols in the organisational structures involved in various areas related to airport safety & security are of particular strategic importance. Digitalisation represents a new challenge for the airport. We are preparing for changes in boarding procedures; we will have the support of technology that guarantees faster and more secure forms of recognition and check-in, but that requires supervision”.