ITA Airways Announces 52 Destinations in 2023-2024 Winter Schedule

ITA Airways’ stand at the TTG Travel Experience International Tourism Fair in Rimini. Photo source: ITA Airways

ITA Airways, the flag carrier of Italy, will offer 52 destinations, including 17 domestic, 23 international, and 12 intercontinental, for the 2023-2024 winter season, according to the airline’s Chief Commercial Officer, Emiliana Limosani.

While presenting the new winter schedule on Thursday, Limosani said ITA Airways’ is focusing on its intercontinental development, following “excellent” commercial results achieved this year.

“From January 2023 to date, we have carried 11 million passengers, 55 percent more versus the same period in 2022, with an average load factor of 80 percent, namely 7.5 percentage points higher versus the same time frame in 2022, with an increase in passenger revenue of +83 percent compared to the first 9 months of last year,” Limosani said during a press conference held on the sidelines of the TTG Travel Experience International Tourism Fair in Rimini.

Two new intercontinental routes: Rio de Janeiro and Malè

Photo source: ITA Airways

The 2023-2024 winter schedule will see two new intercontinental routes – Rio de Janeiro and Malè (Maldives) – added to the flights already operated to New York, Boston, Miami, Los Angeles, Sao Paulo, Buenos Aires, Tokyo, and New Delhi.

“Our next step will be the opening of the new Rome Fiumicino – Rio de Janeiro nonstop flight. South America, where we already operate to Sao Paulo and Buenos Aires, is a market in which we are a leader in terms of traffic to and from Italy thanks to one of the largest Italian communities in the world,” she said, adding that from December, ITA Airways will return to fly to the Maldives, “a highly coveted destination for leisure traffic”.

Focus on North America

Moreover, ITA Airways also plans to expand its intercontinental network in the summer of 2024, with focus on North America.

Limosani also said that ITA Airways in April will open a nonstop flight to Chicago and in May fly to Canada on the new Toronto direct route. Both destinations will be operated from Rome Fiumicino.

“This will be achieved thanks to the continuous renewal of our fleet, which will also see the entry of the new Airbus A321neo and A220-100, both latest-generation aircraft,” Limosani said. The two aircraft are expected to join the fleet by the end of 2023.

ITA Airways’ new flight operation for 2023-2024 winter and 2024 summer seasons

Photo source: ITA Airways

• From October 29, 2023, the new flight from Rome Fiumicino to Rio de Janeiro will be operated with Airbus A330. It will have a daily frequency with departure from Rome Fiumicino airport at 9:50 p.m. and arrival at Rio de Janeiro International Airport at 6:05 a.m., local time. The flight from Rio de Janeiro will start operation on October 30, 2023, with a daily frequency: departure at 3:45 p.m. and landing at Rome Fiumicino at 6:45 a.m., local time.
• From December 16, 2023, the new direct flight from Rome Fiumicino to Malè (Maldives) will be operated with Airbus A330, with 3-5 weekly frequencies depending on the period.
• From April 7, 2024, a new direct flight from Rome Fiumicino to Chicago will be launched with 6 weekly frequencies that will become 7 in June. This new nonstop flight to Chicago will be available for sale starting today.
• From May 1, 2024, a new nonstop flight will be operated from Rome Fiumicino to Toronto, with 6 weekly frequencies that will become 7 from June.

The upcoming summer season offers the expansion of the international network with new direct flights from Rome Fiumicino to Riyadh, from May 2024; to Accra and Kuwait, from June 2024; to Dakar, from July 2024; and to Jeddah, from October 2024.

Photo source: ITA Airways

“ITA Airways wants to be the reference national carrier for the mobility of Italians by ensuring quality connectivity at both domestic and international level, with a particular focus on the intercontinental segment,” ITA Airways General Manager Andrea Benassi said during the press conference.

This year also saw the growth of ITA Airways’ fleet which now counts 79 Airbus aircraft. Of these, 29 are of latest generation and include 11 A320neo, 7 A220-300, 5 A330-900 and 6 A350-900. The airline’s first Airbus A321neo and first Airbus A220-100 will join the fleet by the end of 2023.

Moreover, 2023 has been a year full of news for Volare, ITA Airways’ loyalty program, that has already reached the milestone of more than 1.5 million members.