Alitalia successor ITA envisions SkyTeam membership

Newly launched Italian carrier ITA Airways is intending to join the SkyTeam alliance, continuing the allegiance of its predecessor Alitalia. The new carrier initiated operations on 15 October, with an Airbus A320 service from Milan Linate to Bari, and started charter flights with a Milan Malpensa-Rome Fiumicino sortie. Its initial network of 44 destinations, covered by 59 routes, will increase to 74 destinations and 89 routes by 2025. The company has signed ground-handling and maintenance pacts with Alitalia, which remains in administration. ITA says it will “focus” on Fiumicino and Linate with the aim of being the “reference airline” for business and leisure traffic. It adds that it will join the SkyTeam alliance and introduce codesharing with other SkyTeam carriers to increase connectivity – although it says it will depend on its identifying a “strategic partner”. Alitalia previously had equity tie-ups with SkyTeam’s Air France-KLM as well as Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways.<br/>