ITA Airways eyes expansion with new long-haul routes

Joerg Eberhart mentioned Santiago, Chile as a potential future destination but noted that profitability would depend on yield analysis: “It could be an option for the coming years. But the city is quite far from Rome, and we have to study the yields there because even if the aircraft is full, you need a certain yield to operate profitably.”

To support its expansion plans, ITA intends to grow its fleet by adding one intercontinental aircraft annually. Currently, it operates five long-haul capable aircraft including four Airbus A350s and one A330neo.

ITA's planned route expansion includes destinations such as Buenos Aires in South America; Mumbai in India; Singapore; Osaka in Japan; Abidjan in Ivory Coast; Lagos in Nigeria; and several seasonal winter routes like Zanzibar, Santo Domingo, and Havana.

The airline hopes for improved geopolitical conditions that might reopen Russian airspace for EU flights or allow resumption of historic Alitalia routes such as Tehran, Beirut, and Amman. Alitalia was absorbed into ITA Airways in 2021.

Reactions on social media platforms X and BlueSky were mostly positive regarding these new routes despite some skepticism about competition from large US airlines. Two posters highlighted IAH's need for a non-stop flight to Rome which could benefit both Italian tourists and North American travelers seeking Italian holidays.

Profitability remains a key concern for ITA Airways as it seeks not to repeat Alitalia's past financial challenges. In 2019 data showed Alitalia’s Rome-Santiago route generated significant revenue but also incurred substantial losses due mainly due balancing passenger density against operational costs per trip.