ITA Airways to join Star Alliance in 2026

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/>