easyJet launches new routes at Milan Linate amid ITA Airways-Lufthansa deal

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easyJet launches new routes at Milan Linate amid ITA Airways-Lufthansa deal

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Simple Flying | Simple Flying

By Sky Industry News

Dec 11, 2024

easyJet has announced the launch of 16 new routes from its new base at Milan Linate Airport, following its designation as the remedy taker for ITA Airways’ slots. This development comes as part of a broader deal involving ITA Airways and Lufthansa Group.

The airline will begin flights from Milan Linate to Edinburgh and Manchester airports starting March 30, 2025. Additionally, easyJet plans to increase its daily flights between Milan Linate and London Gatwick. According to Cirium data, no airline has served the Edinburgh or Manchester routes from Linate since the pandemic ended in 2022.

Ali Gayward, UK Country Manager for easyJet, emphasized that this investment in Italy will provide UK customers with more convenient connections to major European cities. The European Commission facilitated these new itineraries by approving easyJet as a remedy taker for short-haul flights, addressing competition concerns after Lufthansa Group acquired an initial stake in ITA Airways.

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Beyond Milan Linate, easyJet is expanding its presence in Italy with a three-aircraft base at Rome Leonardo da Vinci Fiumicino Airport beginning March 30, 2025. The airline will operate from four bases across Italy: Milan Malpensa Airport, Naples International Airport, and now Rome Fiumicino and Milan Linate.

The expansion includes plans for 974 weekly departures across these locations by August 2025. EasyJet's new route list features destinations such as Brussels Airport, Frankfurt Airport, Vienna Airport, Ibiza Airport, Split Airport, and Tenerife South Airport.

Additionally, easyJet announced new itineraries from Milan Malpensa to Hamburg Airport, Dusseldorf Airport, Paris Charles De Gaulle Airport, and Harstad/Narvik Airport. From Rome-Fiumicino airport, flights will be available to Brussels, Munich Airport, Hamburg, Frankfurt and Zurich airports—all hubs or bases for Lufthansa Group airlines.

The EC approved Lufthansa Group’s acquisition of a significant share of ITA Airways on November 29. As part of this agreement with MEF (Ministero dell'Economia e delle Finanze), arrangements were made with other carriers like Air France-KLM and International Airlines Group to maintain competitive long-haul routes between Italy and North America through interlining agreements or slot swaps.