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ITA Airways has officially received approval to start the integration process into Star Alliance following a verdict by the Star Alliance Chief Executive Board (CEB). Building on its induction into the Lufthansa Group earlier this year, this decision paves the way for its much anticipated entry into the world’s largest airline alliance. The onboarding process will now move at full throttle. Celebrating the milestone, Star Alliance Chief Executive Officer Theo Panagiotoulias stated: “In early 2026, ITA Airways is expected to officially join the Star Alliance network as a full member. The decision by our Chief Executive Board underscores the strong confidence our members have in ITA Airways. As a gateway for Italy, its addition strengthens our global network, offering seamless and connected journeys to more travellers worldwide.” Joerg Eberhart, CEO and General Manager of ITA Airways, said: “We are excited to join the Star Alliance network and to bring the excellence of Made in Italy into the alliance, further enhancing its global reach. This is a significant milestone in ITA Airways’ growth, and we look forward to offering our customers the future privileges of the world’s largest airline network." ITA Airways will add 360 daily flights to the Alliance network, further strengthening the Alliance’s footprint in the European region. The biggest growth will come from its home cities, especially Rome and Milan, which are currently served by 16 Star Alliance members collectively.<br/>

ITA Airways will join Star Alliance in 2026 after receiving the green light of approval from the latter’s chief executive board. The integration is expected to move “at full throttle”, with the Italian carrier set to join the alliance as a full member in “early 2026”. The move comes after European aviation giant Lufthansa Group completed its purchase of a 41% minority stake in ITA earlier this year. Several of the group’s airlines – Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines and Brussels Airlines – are existing members of the alliance. ITA Airways will be the 26th airline to join the airline collective – which also includes United, Air Canada, Singapore Airlines and TAP Air Portugal – and will add 360 daily flights to the alliance network, largely from its hubs in Rome and Milan. Lufthansa Group CCO Dieter Vranckx said the group is “mentoring” ITA through the alliance onboarding process.<br/>

ITA Airways has received approval to start the integration process into Star Alliance following a verdict by the Star Alliance Chief Executive Board (CEB). Building on its induction into the Lufthansa Group earlier this year, the decision paves the way for its much-anticipated entry into the world’s largest airline alliance. “In early 2026, ITA Airways is expected to officially join the Star Alliance network as a full member. The decision by our Chief Executive Board underscores the strong confidence our members have in ITA Airways. As a gateway for Italy, its addition strengthens our global network, offering seamless and connected journeys to more travellers worldwide," said Star Alliance Chief Executive Officer Theo Panagiotoulias in a press release. Joerg Eberhart, CEO and General Manager of ITA Airways, added: “We are excited to join the Star Alliance network and to bring the excellence of Made in Italy into the alliance, further enhancing its global reach. This is a significant milestone in ITA Airways’ growth, and we look forward to offering our customers the future privileges of the world’s largest airline network."<br/>

Lufthansa Group has provided another update on the integration of ITA Airways into the group, with the Italian airline, which will leave SkyTeam on April 30, receiving executives’ approval to join Star Alliance.<br/>In a statement on April 2, Lufthansa Group detailed that the Star Alliance Chief Executive Board (CEB) approved the process to start ITA Airways’ integration into the airline alliance. Lufthansa Group and its network carriers, namely Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Lufthansa, and Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS), are part of Star Alliance, with notable members being Air Canada, Turkish Airlines, United Airlines, and others. “The onboarding process will now move at full throttle,” Lufthansa Group said, adding that ITA Airways should be joining Star Alliance in early 2026. The group is helping the Italian carrier through the process, it stated. Dieter Vranckx, the Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) of Lufthansa Group, expressed pride that ITA Airways will become the group’s fifth network airline to join the alliance and, as the mentor of the Italian carrier, Lufthansa Group will attempt its best to ensure a smooth process.<br/>

ITA Airways (AZ) has officially received approval to start the integration process into Star Alliance, the world’s first and largest airline alliance. The Star Alliance Chief Executive Board (CEB) decision follows AZ’s induction into the Lufthansa Group earlier this year and positions the airline to become a full alliance member by early 2026. As part of its transition, the Lufthansa Group will mentor AZ during the integration process. Star Alliance members include Lufthansa (LH), United Airlines (UA), Singapore Airlines (SQ), Turkish Airlines (TK), and others. They offer 17,500 daily flights to 1,150 destinations across 189 countries. ITA Airways is Italy's flagship airline, which is 59% owned by Italy’s Ministry of Economy and Finance and 41% by Deutsche Lufthansa AG. Once fully integrated, AZ will become the 26th member of Star Alliance, adding 360 daily flights and expanding the network to more than 18,000 daily flights across 192 countries.<br/>

Italy’s national carrier has received formal approval to integrate into the Star Alliance. On Wednesday, ITA Airways said onboarding “will now move at full throttle” after completing administrative procedures. It represents the latest chapter in a process that is expected to conclude in early 2026. The Star Alliance is a group of 25 global airlines that partner to provide easier connections and cross-company recognition for frequent flyers. Its best-known members include United, Turkish Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Air India, and Lufthansa. Although largely ceremonial, Wednesday’s developments continue a busy start to the year for ITA. <br/>

Eight years after the near collapse of Alitalia, its successor ITA Airways has begun the “integration process” to become a full member of the Star Alliance. The Italian flag carrier is part of the Lufthansa Group, although it is still 59% owned by the Italian government, and has been accepted by the Star Alliance Chief Executive Board to become the fifth airline controlled by the German aviation group to join. Upon completion, expected next year, Star Alliance will have 26 global airline members “offering over 18,000 daily flights connecting 192 countries.” The approval to join the world’s largest airline group marked the conclusion of a tumultuous period for the airline which is effectively the continuation of Alitalia. Its predecessor struggled to survive after Etihad Airways pulled it support in 2017, and was eventually rescued by the Italian government in 2020. Although the company was reorganised later that year as ITA, it was stopped from transferring Alitalia branding and flight slots by the European Commission in 2021. The European Union’s competition laws did not allow for the non-market transaction to exclude external bidders.<br/>

Italy’s national airline, ITA Airways, is gearing up to become part of the Star Alliance, the world’s largest airline network. The Star Alliance Chief Executive Board (CEB) recently gave the green light for ITA Airways to begin its integration process. This step follows the airline’s earlier inclusion in the Lufthansa Group this year. Now, ITA Airways is on track to officially join the alliance in early 2026, with preparations moving forward at a brisk pace. Theo Panagiotoulias, the CEO of Star Alliance, shared his enthusiasm about the decision. “We expect ITA Airways to become a full member of the Star Alliance network in early 2026,” he said. “This approval from our board shows the trust our members have in ITA Airways. As Italy’s gateway, the airline will boost our global reach. It will also make travel smoother and more connected for people around the world.”<br/>

United Airlines plans to add daily flights to Vietnam and Thailand in October, further expanding the network for the U.S. carrier that already has the most Asia service. In the expansion, United is using a tactic that’s unusual in its network: Its airplanes from Los Angeles and San Francisco that are headed for Hong Kong will then go on to the two new destinations. The Bangkok and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, service is set to begin on Oct. 26. On Oct. 25, United plans to add a second daily nonstop flight from San Francisco to Manila, Philippines, and on Dec. 11, it will launch nonstops from San Francisco to Adelaide, Australia, which will operate three days a week. The carrier has aggressively been adding far-flung destinations not served by rivals to its routes, like Nuuk, Greenland, and Bilbao, Spain, which start later this year. Getting the mix right is especially important as carriers seek to grow their lucrative loyalty programs and need attractive destinations to keep customers spending. Bangkok, in particular, “is in even more demand now given the popularity of ‘White Lotus,’” Patrick Quayle, United’s senior vice president of network and global alliances, said of the HBO show. He said the carrier isn’t planning on cutting any international routes for its upcoming winter schedule.<br/>

Air Canada is expecting Airbus to deliver the first of 30 A321XLRs it has on order in the fourth quarter, adding to an ongoing renewal of the Montreal-based carrier’s narrowbody fleet. The Star Alliance airline disclosed on 28 March an update of its fleet renewal plan, which foresees A321XLR deliveries continuing through 2029. Half of the latest-generation narrowbody jets will be leased, while Air Canada plans to acquire the other 15 aircraft under a purchase agreement with Airbus. Air Canada holds options to receive another 10 A321XLRs between 2030 and 2032, for a potential total of 40 of the extra-long-range jets – all powered by Pratt & Whitney (P&W) PW1100G geared turbofans. Upon placing the aircraft order in March 2022, Air Canada had initially anticipated that its first A321XLRs would arrive in the first quarter of 2024, based on Airbus’ prior expectation of clearing certification of the type in 2023. <br/>

The VC pilots union is breaking off talks with Germany's Lufthansa over proposed cuts, sources told Reuters on Wednesday, increasing the likelihood of strikes by cockpit crew over the course of this year. The airline is seeking union approval for cost reductions at Lufthansa's core brand, which has been loss-making. The airline has told employees it needs to make savings in particular in its short- and medium-haul travel offerings, according to a document seen by Reuters. "We didn't reach an agreement on the turnaround," a source familiar with the talks told Reuters. The end of discussions opens the way to formal pay negotiations, which could pave the way for strikes by the core airline's 4,800 pilots. Sources familiar with the talks said Lufthansa had proposed to lift the current pilot hiring freeze and take on 250 new part-time cockpit crew by 2028. The union said this would lead to increasd work for pilots and amount to a stealth pay cut. Lufthansa told Reuters it did not regard the talks as ended and remained open to further discussions.<br/>

Ryanair Wednesday lost its fight against E650m of Polish state aid granted to Polish airline LOT after Europe's second-highest court sided with EU competition authorities which allowed the subsidy. European Union governments provided billions of euros in aid to their national airlines at the height of the COVID pandemic as travel restrictions and plunging demand hammered air travel. The European Commission in its 2020 decision said the Polish aid, which consisted of an E400 subsidised loan and an E250m capital injection, was necessary and appropriate to help LOT weather the crisis. The Luxembourg-based General Court endorsed the decision. "The Commission did not commit a manifest error in finding in the contested decision that LOT was unable to find financing on the markets at affordable terms," judges said. Ryanair, which has won and also lost legal challenges against subsidies granted to its COVID-hit rivals, can appeal only on points of law to the Court of Justice of the European Union, Europe's highest.<br/>

Turkish Airlines has added Ohrid, one of the North Macedonia’s key tourism destinations, to its flight network. With this addition, Ohrid becomes the flag carrier’s second destination in North Macedonia after Skopje, its 123rd destination in Europe, and its 353rd worldwide. Lake Ohrid, one of Europe’s richest areas in terms of biodiversity, was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1979, making it a symbol of the city. In 1980, the entire city of Ohrid was placed under UNESCO protection due to its historical, cultural, and natural significance. Turkish Airlines has begun operating reciprocal flights between Istanbul Airport and Ohrid St. Paul the Apostle Airport four times a week. With this new route, the airline strengthens its regional network, offering passengers more travel options.<br/>

Air India’s windfall of 737 Max jets amid a broader shortage of new planes is coming to an end. After adding two Boeing aircraft a month on average since September 2023 as the US manufacturer cleared a backlog of the jets it had originally built for Chinese carriers, the pool will run dry by June, people familiar with the matter said, leaving the Indian airline with little visibility around fresh deliveries in the months ahead. Air India’s easy supply was thanks to a supply chain quirk. Boeing was able to divert 737 Max jets built for Chinese carriers, including Shanghai Airlines, as they deferred taking deliveries following regulatory concerns about the safety of a lithium battery in the planes’ cockpit voice recorders. Having ordered 190 of the aircraft in June 2023, Air India’s low cost arm, Air India Express, has already taken possession of 41 of the 50 so-called whitetail planes – those built for others but still in storage. Another four are due this month and five between May and June. Considering deliveries of the remaining 140 737 Max jets wouldn’t start before the end of the financial year ending March 2026, the Tata Group-owned Air India risks losing ground to market leader IndiGo, which has said that this year, it’s adding more than one aircraft a week. Of the 41 whitetail aircraft Air India has received so far, 38 of them are in operations and three are being repainted, the people said, asking not to be identified discussing confidential arrangements. Boeing is separately working on ramping up the 737 production, as it targets 38 jets a month by mid-2025. “We will defer to our customers for any details on their fleet planning,” Boeing said in an email response. Air India and Air India Express didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.<br/>