ITA Airways (AZ) has strengthened its presence in the African and Middle Eastern markets through an extensive route expansion for the summer season of 2024. The airline has announced the launch of six new routes from its hub at Rome-Fiumicino (FCO).
The Italian flag carrier carried over 11 million passengers in the 2023 January–October period and recorded an average load factor of 80% on flights to 52 worldwide destinations.
Amiliana Limosani, CCO at ITA Airways, said, “We are very proud of the excellent commercial results achieved this year, which surpassed our forecasts…We are now looking confidently to the future, with a focus on intercontinental development.”
Limosani, who is also the Chief Executive Officer of their frequent flyer program Volare, also announced the joining of AerolÃneas Argentinas (AR) as a partner of the miles program of ITA.
Significant Presence in Africa, the Middle East
ITA will be starting three new connections from FCO to the Americas during the coming months. The airline has added Rio de Janeiro (GIG), Chicago-O’Hare (ORD), and Toronto-Pearson (YYZ) to its list of transatlantic destinations served from the capital city.
However, the greatest focus has been placed on Africa and the Middle East, with AZ launching six routes in these regions to further increase its presence and compete with other European airlines such as Air France (AF), KLM (KL), and Brussels Airlines (SN).
Starting December 16, 2023, the airline will introduce a new non-stop flight route from Rome to Malé (MLE), in the Maldives. This route will be operated by an A330 aircraft and will have a frequency of 3-5 flights per week. Additionally, AZ will begin offering flights to Riyadh (RUH), Jeddah (JED), and Kuwait (KWI) during the summer season.
In terms of African destinations, the airline has announced plans to expand its direct services to two important destinations. In June, Accra (ACC), in Ghana, will be included in their list of African destinations, followed by Dakar (DSS), in Senegal, which will commence in July 2024.
More Routes, More Aircraft
The Italian flag carrier’s expansion into intercontinental routes for the summer of 2024 is made possible by the availability of its fleet. The airline has acquired over 25 state-of-the-art aircraft between 2022 and 2023.
ITA Airways operates a complete fleet of Airbus aircraft, consisting of 11 A320neos, seven A220-300s, five A330neos, and six A350s. Furthermore, the airline is expecting the delivery of the shorter A220-100 and the longer Airbus A321neo by the end of the year. The A321neo is currently in the final stages of painting at Airbus facilities in Hamburg (XFW).
When its predecessor, Alitalia (AZ), was dissolved in 2021, ITA bid farewell to its last Boeing and Embraer jets. Prior to its closure, Alitalia operated five Boeing 777-200ER jets and five Embraer E175 regional aircraft through its subsidiary, Alitalia Cityliner (CT).
-Source(airwaysmag)
