easyJet is significantly increasing its operational footprint in Italy, particularly focusing on Milan Linate Airport. The company’s expansion follows the acquisition of a portion of ITA Airways by the Lufthansa Group. As part of the terms of this acquisition, the European Commission required sacrifices to ensure market competition. This included ITA Airways relinquishing slots to easyJet.
“The two airlines needed to agree to a certain number of sacrifices with the European Commission in order to maintain a level playing field,” said a spokesperson. Among these sacrifices, ITA Airways was required to provide easyJet with 30 slot pairs at Milan Linate airport to operate flights to Germany, Belgium, and Austria, which are strongholds of the Lufthansa Group. Moreover, easyJet was granted the opportunity to launch 13 new routes beyond the stipulations set by the European Commission.
Further solidifying its base, easyJet received the use of three Airbus A320 family planes from ITA Airways for its Milan Linate operations, with the number reducing to two during the winter. This approach enables easyJet to enhance its flight offerings significantly, and the airline observed a 128% increase in the number of flights compared to 2024.
Kenton Jarvis, easyJet’s current CEO, remarked on the privilege of being the approved short-haul remedy taker in Milan and Rome. “This move also confirms the airline’s key role in the Italian market providing the opportunity for continued investment, additional jobs, and growth,” he noted.
Although easyJet’s slot acquisition initially focused on routes within the Lufthansa Group’s existing network, the carrier has expanded beyond these boundaries to capitalize on its increased access. This expansion resulted in easyJet’s position at Milan Linate become considerably stronger, surpassing Aeroitalia in terms of flight numbers.
With this strategic expansion, easyJet is poised to benefit the Italian market by offering more choices and maintaining competitive fare levels for consumers. The operations out of Fiumicino have also increased by 44%, further reflecting the airline’s broader ambitions within Italy.
