Intercontinental flights may be able to land at Milan Linate in the near future. 

Linate is Milan's city airport

Perhaps. And according to speculation by the Italian daily Il Corriere.it, which has had access to the draft document on the new National Airport Plan, the strategic document outlining the development of Italian civil aviation up to 2035. According to this document the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport is reportedly considering opening Milan’s city airport to intercontinental flights, particularly flights from and to New York, provided they are operated by single-aisle aircraft configured exclusively in business class and managed by traditional airlines.

Only narrow-body aircraft

This would inevitably require an amendment to current legislation. At present Linate is subject to strict restrictions set out in the so-called ‘Giovannini Decree’ of 2022, which permits only point-to-point flights; the use of narrow-body aircraft; routes within 1,500 km; and connections only to airports in the European Union or countries with which agreements are in place (such as the United Kingdom).

Linate Airport is already very congested

The Ministry’s aim would be to offer airlines greater commercial flexibility and attract premium customers directly to the centre of Milan, taking advantage of Linate’s strategic city airport location. However there is a significant constraint on the table: the airport can handle a maximum of 18 movements - take-offs and landings - per hour. But the airport is already very congested, so the introduction of long-haul flights would likely result in a reduction in some domestic or European flights.

Milan Malpensa could lose profitable traffic

If the project were to go ahead it would impact negatively on Milan Malpensa Airport as the latter could lose some of its most profitable traffic to Linate. It is no coincidence that the restrictions on the city airport were introduced precisely to encourage the growth of Malpensa as an international hub, especially following the crisis that led to Alitalia’s withdrawal from the airport. Among the airlines potentially most affected is ITA Airways, which, together with the Lufthansa Group, already holds a dominant position at Linate (around 52% of scheduled flights for the whole of 2026, according to Cirium data).

Three more Wizz Air aircraft in Milan Malpensa, Catania and Naples from 14 September. 

50 routes to 23 countries from Milan Malpensa

The number of aircraft based by the low-cost carrier will rise from 10 to 11, enabling the launch of four new international routes to Santander, Zaragoza, Porto and Agadir-Al Massira, all commencing in mid-September. With the arrival of this additional Airbus A321neo, Wizz Air’s offering at Malpensa will therefore comprise a total of 50 routes to 23 countries.

Two new aircraft in just two months 

In Milan the announcement of the 11th aircraft based there comes just under two months after that of the 10th Airbus A321neo stationed at Malpensa and the launch of seven new routes from Milan within the airline’s network: two domestic routes to Palermo and Naples (both with twice-daily frequencies) and five international routes to Dortmund (daily), Bilbao (five weekly flights), Cluj (four weekly flights – Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday), Iasi (three weekly flights – Monday, Wednesday and Friday) and Palma de Mallorca (daily flights).

3.4 million seats on sale this summer

This year, the airline will offer over 5.5 million seats to and from Milan Malpensa, an increase of 16.3% over 2025. During the summer 3.4 million seats will be on sale, with operational capacity up by 19.8% compared to last summer. “Milan is our second-largest base in Italy and has always been one of the most dynamic and strategic markets for our growth in Italy. The strengthening of our presence at Malpensa, with the arrival of our 11th based aircraft, confirms the confidence we have in this region and its potential. This investment is not only about the company’s operational expansion, but also a concrete contribution to the region’s development: together with our partner SEA – Milan Airports, we are proud to support the growth of Milan’s connectivity, creating new opportunities for tourism, business and the local economy,” commented Ian Malin, Chief Commercial Officer at Wizz Air.

Milan Malpensa's strategic centrality within European aviation 

“Wizz Air’s further expansion at Milan Malpensa Airport confirms the airport’s strategic centrality within the European aviation landscape. We welcome the decision to further increase the number of aircraft based at Malpensa and the launch of new international routes such as Agadir, Santander and Zaragoza (the latter two are brand-new destinations for Malpensa) which expand its network and strengthen its role in connecting the region, enhancing accessibility to Milan and Lombardy,” commented Luigi Battuello, chief commercial cfficer SEA Milan Airports.

An on-time performance rate of 99.6%

In 2025, Wizz Air carried over 21 million passengers in Italy, recording an 8% increase over the previous year and maintaining an exceptional on-time performance rate of 99.6%. With a fleet of 44 aircraft based in Italy this year and a market share of 12%, Wizz Air is now the second-largest carrier in Italy, aiming to offer more than 32 million seats in 2026 and to upscale its presence across the country.

Condé Nast Traveller recently reminded us of something Italians have always known - that travel isn’t about size, it’s about experience. In its article “20 Beautiful Small Towns in Italy to Plan Your Next Trip Around" the magazine lingers lovingly on small towns (at least five have fewer than 2,000 inhabitants) where "whatever your idea of a good time is, there’s a small town in Italy bound to satisfy your desires.”

Or course in Italy a “good time” can mean a thousand contradictory things, like a bar that opens when the owner feels like it, a church bell determined to make itself heard no matter the time of day, a view so theatrical it almost seems staged, and a plate of something so simple that it ruins you for everything else. 

These little towns do not perform for visitors; they simply continue being themselves and make you wonder Can life really be this pared back? Well, you soon come to realize that it can. And that when it comes to having a good time less can hold far greater value than more, and how easy it is to be tempted to stay just a little longer.

Pamela McCourt Francescone
Executive Editor

ITA Airways is stepping up its focus on intermodality and, together with Italo, will launch flight+train tickets from July.

A combined flight+train ticket

The new memorandum of understanding between the two transport giants will enable the sale of a combined ticket (flight and train) through a single purchase from July. The aim is to ‘optimize an integrated product, making travel smoother and more comfortable, and allowing passengers to benefit from coordinated, high-quality transport solutions, with waiting times reduced to a minimum’.

Gianbattista La Rocca and Joerg Eberhart

Fares best suited to passenger needs

The intermodal offering will involve not only the sale of combined air+train tickets (via travel agencies and travel managers and on the company’s website ita-airways.com) but also the provision of an integrated and flexible product, allowing travellers to choose the fares best suited to their needs. The customer experience will be at the heart of the new intermodal service, ensuring a high-quality, simple, integrated and hassle-free travel experience by air and rail.

"A shared vision of the future of mobility"

“Thanks to our partnership with Italo, we are adding another piece to the quality connections and services we offer. This collaboration stems from a shared vision of the future of mobility offering travellers an integrated and sustainable travel experience, enhancing the interconnection between air and rail transport, and ensuring increasingly extensive connections across Italy and to the international destinations within Ita’s network," said Joerg Eberhart, CEO and general manager of ITA Airways.

"Mobility will be increasingly shared and sustainable"

 Gianbattista La Rocca, CEO and general manager of Italo, added: “Our investment in intermodal travel continues. We believe that in the future mobility will be increasingly shared and sustainable, which is why for years we have been integrating our rail travel solutions with other modes of transport: first buses, then ships, and soon also planes. With ITA Airways, we will be able to offer a dedicated service tailored to travellers’ needs, providing quality, extensive coverage and a wide range of choices. This agreement stems from a shared strategic vision that places the passenger at the heart of the strategy through an increasingly efficient, flexible and sustainable travel experience, in line with our shared ESG commitments.”

Air China will operate four weekly flights between Beijing and Venice with Airbus A330-220s.  

Flights will operate from 2 July 

The new route, as announced in April, will launch on 2 July, with a 267-seat Airbus A330-220, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. The first flight will land at Marco Polo Airport at 19:15 and depart for Beijing the same evening at 21:30. “Against the backdrop of ever-increasing global connectivity and to mark the 40th anniversary of Air China’s connections with Italy, the new direct Beijing-Venice flight is a significant milestone for aviation cooperation between the two countries, and will contribute not only to further strengthening collaboration in the civil aviation sector, but also to significantly expanding Air China’s network in Italy,” said Li Duo, general manager of Air China Milan.

Air China flies to Milan, Rome and Venice

“Air China is officially extending its presence in Italy to three strategic hubs: Milan, Rome and Venice, making Italy one of the European countries with the highest number of cities served by the airline. Air China will continue to seize this opportunity to optimize its network of international connections and constantly improve the quality of its services, consolidating its role as an air bridge for economic, tourist and cultural exchanges between China and Italy,” continued Li Duo.

Venice Airport

Venice, Verona and the Dolomites are popular

The new route will serve and stimulate all traffic segments: business and cargo, with the North-East accounting for 13% of trade flows between China and Italy, generating an annual turnover of around €10 billion, second only to that of the Milan area (Istat 2025 data). Leisure tourism finds in the North-East one of the main areas in terms of the number of tourists arriving from China, and it is high-quality tourism, with over 70% of visitors choosing luxury accommodation, attracted in particular by the art cities, led by Venice and Verona, and by the Dolomites. With around 70,000 residents the Chinese community in the North-East is the second largest in Italy after Lombardy. Visits and family reunions will be supported and facilitated by the new flight, with passenger flows from China coming in particular from Beijing, Wenzhou (in Zhejiang province) and Xiamen (in Fujian province).

Strong passenger and cargo flows to and from Venice

“The new flight between Venice and Beijing scales up Marco Polo’s role as a key hub for traffic between our region, China and the Far East, helping to intensify the economic and cultural exchanges that have always been at the heart of our group’s mission,- said Enrico Marchi, chairman of the Save Group. -Together with Air China, we have carried out extensive preparatory work that has led to the achievement of this objective, for which, as was the case with the first flight operated from our airport to China, the support of the Italian Government and the Chinese authorities was crucial.” For the Save Group, which manages Italy’s third intercontinental airport, this new milestone marks the culmination of a journey driven by substantial flows of passengers and cargo between Venice, Beijing, China and the Far East.

Sardinia shone in the ItaliAbsolutely Village at the Las Vegas Travel Agent’s Forum for the second consecutive year, just ahead of the America's Cup. 

Meetings with US travel professionals

Confirming its status as one of Italy’s most appealing destinations for the U.S. travel trade the Sardinia Region and a group of Sardinian tourism operators, attended the event to meet hundreds of buyers and travel professionals in one of the industry’s leading showcases to promotes the very best of Italian tourism.

"Enhancing the island’s international positioning and global perception”

“Sardinia returns to Las Vegas once again as a protagonist, with the goal of presenting the American market with a destination that is authentic, sophisticated and still wonderfully undiscovered,” said Raimondo Mandis, spokesperson for Sardinia’s Regional Tourism Councillor Franco Cuccureddu. “Being present at the ItaliAbsolutely Village for the second consecutive year allows us to scale up important relationships with the U.S. travel trade while further enhancing the island’s international positioning and global perception.”

Major developments are shaping Sardinia

The Forum also provided the perfect platform to unveil some of the major developments shaping Sardinia’s 2026 tourism outlook. “We have three powerful elements that are transforming the way Sardinia is perceived internationally,- Mandis continued. -First is the new Delta Air Lines direct flight between New York and Olbia, launching tomorrow, May 20, with four weekly frequencies throughout the season. Then there is the recognition of the Domus de Janas as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for 2025, together with Sardinia’s inclusion by Lonely Planet among Europe’s Best in Travel Regions for 2026.”

The America's Cup in Cagliari this month 

This year will also mark a major moment for international events on the island, beginning with the Louis Vuitton 38th America’s Cup Preliminary Regatta, which will place Cagliari at the center of the global sailing world from May 21–24, 2026. “The America’s Cup is far more than just a major sporting event,- Mandis added. -For four days the city will become the international capital of sailing, welcoming world-class teams, media, industry professionals and visitors from across the globe.” The official opening ceremony is scheduled this Thursday in the spectacular setting of Bastione Saint Remy, with the participation of regional and national institutions, followed by the inauguration of the Race Village at the Port of Cagliari.

 

 

 

 

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The new ITA Airways route from Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport to Rome Fiumicino was launched on 2 May. 

Five weekly flights from June 1

Marking the first-ever direct connection between the two cities, the inaugural flights from Houston which is the airline’s ninth North American destination, following New York, Boston, Miami, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington D.C., Chicago and Toronto, were operated using an Airbus A330-900. The schedule initially provides for three weekly flights, rising to five from 1 June 2026, and offers convenient connections to numerous Italian destinations thanks to the airline’s extensive domestic network from Rome and Milan Linate.

Linking Houston to Rome, Italy and Europe 

“Houston is a hugely significant development for ITA Airways, marking further growth in our long-haul network, upon which we intend to base our future development. It is a dynamic city that combines its role as a global capital of the energy sector with a vibrant and rapidly growing arts and culture scene. The new flight expands access to Italy for residents of Houston and the entire Gulf of Mexico region, offering a direct connection to Rome and further links to numerous destinations in Italy and Europe,” said Joerg Eberhart, CEO and general manager of ITA Airways.

The new route is a bridge that brings cultures closer

“For us, this route is much more than a new connection- added Sandro Pappalardo, the airline’s chairman. -It is a bridge that brings people, stories and cultures closer together and reaffirms our role as ambassadors of Made in Italy around the world, as well as our commitment to becoming the go-to carrier both for travellers to Italy and for those wishing to reach intercontinental destinations. At the same time, it allows the many Italian-Americans in Texas to reconnect with their roots, offering them a direct flight that takes them back to their loved ones, creating new opportunities for meaningful encounters and relationships that make every journey unforgettable."

Solid demand in both the business and leisure sector

“It is a great day for the people of Houston. As a Texan and as the US Ambassador to Italy, I am thrilled about the new direct ITA Airways connection between Houston and Rome,- said Tilman J. Fertitta, US ambassador to Italy and San Marino. -This connection strengthens the economic ties that foster mutual understanding and shared prosperity, and I am grateful to ITA Airways' CEO Joerg Eberhart, Mayor John Whitmire and all the partners who have helped make this possible.” “This is a strategic route for the expansion of Rome airport’s intercontinental network and is the first direct flight between Italy and one of the most dynamic cities in the United States, a key hub in the economic, energy, industrial and technological sectors, with solid demand in both the business and leisure sector," said Marco Troncone, CEO Aeroporti di Roma.

"Lufthansa will exercise its option to acquire a majority stake in ITA Airways in June this year, increasing its holding from 41% to 90%" reads an official airline statement. 

Carsten Spohr: "Faster than expected"

The move was commented by Carsten Spohr, CEO of the Lufthansa Group and chairman of the executive board of Deutsche Lufthansa, as "Faster than expected." The acquisition of the additional 49% stake will take place at the previously agreed price of €325 million, continued the airline's note. The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals, primarily from the European Commission and the US Department of Justice (DOJ) and is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2027. Following this, ITA Airways will be fully integrated into the Lufthansa Group, both organizationally and financially.

ITA Airways will continue to operate under its own brand

ITA is thus preparing to enter a new phase of growth within the Lufthansa Group, strengthening its position in the European and international air transport market. ITA Airways will continue to operate under its own brand, which will be retained and promoted within the group’s structure. “The ‘ITA Airways’ brand today represents a young, distinctive and recognizable identity, strongly linked to Italy and to the values of quality, innovation, reliability and customer care that characterize the company,” said Joerg Eberhart, ITA Airways' CEO and general manager.

Industrial synergies

Increasing integration will enable the carrier to develop further industrial and commercial synergies with the group’s carriers, whilst preserving its Italian identity. “This new phase represents a step of great industrial and strategic significance for Ita Airways. In recent years, we have built a solid, recognizable and quality-oriented company, thanks to the contribution of our people and the trust of our customers, and Deutsche Lufthansa’s decision is proof of the good work done so far,- said Joerg Eberhart, CEO and General Manager of ITA Airways. -We look to the future with ambition and responsibility: full integration into the Lufthansa Group will allow us to compete more effectively on international markets, whilst continuing to showcase Italy’s value, its connectivity and its capacity for innovation to the world." 

Passenger and cargo integration

“Following the acquisition of our initial 41% stake in ITA Airways last year, we promised the fastest integration of an airline in our history. Our goal was to complete all the main stages of integration into the Lufthansa Group in just 18 months. Not only have we kept this promise, but we have also been faster: all customer-facing interfaces are already integrated today, with the exception of flights across the North Atlantic, where, as is well known, regulatory approval of our merger is still pending.” Integration is also progressing in the cargo sector: “Since last year, Lufthansa Cargo has been marketing Ita Airways’ cargo capacity, which alone corresponds to the additional capacity of three Boeing 777 cargo aircraft. In light of this success, we decided to exercise our option as early as June this year.”