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Delta said Tuesday it had added 30 A321neo narrowbody aircraft to its order book with Airbus, as the US carrier upgrades its fleet and prepares for a rebound in travel. The newly ordered jets bring its outstanding orders to a total of 155 A321neos, which are powered by Pratt & Whitney PW1100G turbofan engines. "Adding these aircraft strengthens Delta's commitment to replacing older fleets with more sustainable, fuel-efficient jets," said Mahendra Nair, senior vice president of fleet and techops supply chain at Delta. The airline expects to take delivery of its first A321neo in the first half of 2022.<br/>

The board of directors of ITA, Italy's new flag carrier born out of the ashes of long-struggling Alitalia, approved Tuesday a binding offer for 52 of the latter's aircraft, related airport slots and other assets. The new airline will start flying on October 15, after receiving the green light from Italy's civil authorities last week, with tickets going on sale on August 26, ITA announced. Alitalia meanwhile said that from midnight Tuesday it will stop selling tickets for flights from October 15, with customers who have already booked after that point able to change to an earlier flight or receive a refund. Loss-making Alitalia was placed under state administration in 2017 but Italy has struggled to find an investor to take it over. The situation was only exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic that grounded airlines worldwide. Earlier this year Italy said it had reached an agreement with the European Union for a bailout that creates a new debt-free company to take over some of Alitalia's assets -- ITA. Under the deal, Alitalia's ground and maintenance assets will be sold separately, although ITA can bid alongside other investors. The Italian government has created an E100m fund to reimburse Alitalia customers.<br/>