Italy’s ITA Airways firms up order for 28 Airbus aircraft

Italy’s ITA Airways has firmed up an order for 28 Airbus aircraft, comprising narrow-body and wide-body aircraft. 

The deal finalizes a memorandum of understanding for seven A220s, 11 A320neos and 10 A330neos first announced on September 30, 2021.  

ITA, the successor to bankrupt Alitalia, is also planning to lease A350s as part of fleet modernization plans, Airbus said in a statement on December 1, 2021.  

“In addition to this agreement, possibilities for further collaboration have emerged, in particular regarding technological developments in the aviation sector and digitalization, where Airbus is the market leader,” said Alfredo Altavilla, Executive President of ITA Airways. “All this is part of the actions to achieve our environmental sustainability objectives."

ITA launched on October 15, 2021, a day after previous Italian flag carrier Alitalia carried out its final flight.  

It commenced operations with a network of 44 destinations and 59 routes, which it intends to increase to 74 destinations and 89 routes by 2025. It currently has 52 aircraft in its fleet but plans to grow to 78 aircraft in 2022 and 105 in 2025. 

The Italian carrier’s management has already said it thinks it would be a mistake to remain independent, suggesting it might be an attractive target for German airline group Lufthansa (LHAB) (LHA).