Ita: the new Italian airline
Added on Fri October 1st, 2021
The first flights of Ita (Italia trasporto aereo), the new national airline replacing Alitalia, will take off on 15 October 2021. The fleet will consist of intercontinental, domestic and European flights. The number of available aircraft will increase by 50% in 2022 and then slowdown in the following years, reaching 105 aircraft in 2025, eight out of ten of which will be single-aisle, including a small number of regional jets.
In mid-October, the newco is preparing to take over from Alitalia by hiring 52 aircraft: an Embraer (for regional routes), 17 Airbus A319s and 27 A320s (for short- and medium-haul routes) and 7 A330s (for intercontinental travel).
In the following months, the newco plans to progressively replace the fleet with new-generation aircraft, also on lease, which consume less and pollute less. On board the twin-aisle aircraft, Ita is asking for 3 classes of service (Business, Premium economy, Economy), but shifting the weight more to the more expensive classes, increasing the number of seats available in Business and Premium. On short- and medium-haul flights, the focus is on aircraft with a number of seats similar to that of low-cost carriers.
From 2022 to 2023 – economic trend permitting – Ita will increase its fleet by 28%, reaching 100 aircraft. If the number of regional aircraft remains fixed, the leap will be due to short- and medium-haul aircraft (+34%) and long-haul (+77%). However, this will also be the year in which the newco effectively halts its expansion because in 2024 and 2025 (the end of the first industrial plan) the regional and long-haul aircraft will remain the same, while single-aisle aircraft will increase by five units, most likely the “Xlr” variant of the A321, which covers a greater distance and makes it possible to reach Africa and the Persian Gulf. The window between 2023 and 2024 could also be the time when Ita signs an agreement to join a large airline group: for now, the ballot remains between Lufthansa and Air France-Klm/Delta Air Lines.
Read the entire article on Corriere della Sera
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