The Rome Fiumicino slots were relinquished by the two carriers following the merger, and they are valuable in that they will allow easyJet to guarantee point-to-point connections to the main European capitals.
While from Milan’s Linate city airport “for the first time we are offering a large-scale low-cost alternative in an airport where legacy carriers have historically operated, strengthening Linate's role as a gateway to Europe,” said the company's CEO, Kenton Jarvis.
easyJet’s CEO, on his first visit to Italy since the beginning of 2025 when he officially took the helm of the airline, makes no secret of the carrier's ambitions with regard to corporate traffic: “We want to convince business travellers to fly with us.” And he has launched a Smiles & More promotion for Lufthansa and ITAAirways’ frequent flyers, who for one year will be able to register at half price for the easyJetPlus programme that allows them to check in their luggage for free.
But that's not all. In a particularly delicate market context, which is seeing the very strong demand for travel on routes between Europe and North America called into question, the new challenge will be to intercept a potential drop in demand for flights between London and the United States. Jarvis, as he once again made clear to the press during his two days in Italy, sees “interest in easyJet's medium-haul European flights and North African destinations, which puts us in a good position to absorb a possible reduction in demand for transatlantic travel.”
Mariella Cattaneo
Journalist
