PAS Professional Aviation Solutions is an international broker providing a wide range of flight solutions, from private and commercial jets to helicopters and drones.

“We are brokers specialized in aircraft charter.  We launched in Italy in 2018 and have grown fast, building up a solid client base. Covid slowed things down initially, but then we picked up, especially with regard to private jets which offered clients very high levels of safety during and after the lockdown period,” said Country Manager Alessio Altamura.

“Our clients are also incentive groups and tour operators”

“We have over eighty airline partners and another hundred for private jet charters so we can provide flights from any airport at any time of day which means guaranteeing clients maximum flexibility.  Our customers range from private companies to sporting clubs to NGOs, and we also work a lot with incentive groups and tour operators.  We establish a very close rapport with our clients and they are dealt with on a personal basis.” With offices in Italy, Portugal, Istanbul, Athens and Cairo, the head office is in Germany and in Italy the offices are in Milan.  PAS, with its Spanish partner Alba Star Airline, won a three-year tender to provide air services for the Italian Ministry for Defence.     

United Airlines is betting on the Italian market. From 7 May 2022, subject to government approval, the carrier will add a new daily seasonal route between Milan Malpensa and Chicago O'Hare, becoming the only airline to offer a direct flight between Milan and Chicago. The US carrier also envisages operating two daily flights between Rome Fiumicino and New York Newark from 27 May to 30 September 2022.

The Italian network and expansion on transatlantic routes

United already operates daily direct flights all year from Rome and Milan Malpensa to its hub in Newark, and in addition there are the seasonal flights between Rome and the Chicago O'Hare and Washington Dulles hubs. The addition of flights to Italy is part of United's broader expansion plan on transatlantic routes which includes ten new routes and five new destinations: Amman, Bergen, Azores, Mallorca and Tenerife.

The only company operating the Chicago-Milan route

"We look forward to the full resumption of international travel and are constantly striving to exploit our leading global network in new and exciting ways," said Patrick Quayle, Senior Vice President International Network and Alliances. "We are thrilled to announce this expansion of our network between Italy and the United States," said Marcel Fuchs, Managing Director International Sales. "As the only airline to offer direct services between Milan and Chicago, our new flights strengthen our international network by offering our Italian customers even more travel choices and convenient direct connections via our Chicago and New York Newark hubs to other destinations in the Americas. "

ITA, the new Italian airline and the designated heir to Alitalia, is now selling tickets for its new flights between Italy and the United States. The transatlantic network will consist of routes from Rome Fiumicino to New York JFK, Miami, Boston and Los Angeles and from Milan Malpensa to New York JFK.

The first transatlantic flight is scheduled for 4 November

The airline’s debut on the transatlantic is scheduled for 4 November, with the Rome Fiumicino to New York JFK.  This will start with six weekly round-trip flights, then ten at the start of December, and up to 14 weekly flights over the Christmas period from 20 December 2021 to 9 January 2022.

The Airbus A330 will have Business, Premium Economy and Economy seats

The service will operate on Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays departing Rome at 10:00 and on Mondays, Fridays and Sundays departing New York at 16.55  (on 5 November the first flight from JFK will depart at 5:55pm due to summer time in the USA). The 250-seat Airbus A330 operating the route will be configured in three service classes: Business, Premium Economy and Economy.

In 2025 ITA will have a network of 89 routes flying to 74 destinations 

From March 2022 ITA will introduce flights from Rome Fiumicino to Miami and Boston, and from Milan Malpensa to New York JFK and, during the summer, Rome Fiumicino-Los Angeles. ITA officially debuted on 15 October, with a network of 44 destinations and 59 routes and by 2025 will have 74 destinations and 89 routes.    

Ryanair, the No. 1 carrier in Italy and Europe has chosen Venice’s Marco Polo Airport as it’s new Italian base with three new Boeing 737 8-200 Gamechanger aircraft, an investment of $300 million. The additional 18 new routes (bringing the total number of routes operated on Venice to 24) will significantly improve Venice's national and international connectivity to 12 European countries from next summer.

Ryanair operates on Venice, Verona and Treviso in the Veneto region

 Ryanair's commitment to the Veneto region is not limited to Marco Polo as it had already opened a base - with two aircraft - in Treviso (48 routes). It also operates at Verona airport where it has just announced two new routes to Porto and Palma starting next summer, when it will be operating a total of 86 routes between Venice Marco Polo, Treviso and Verona. “As the largest airline in Europe and Italy, we are delighted to open our new Italian base in Venice Marco Polo with three new 737s, further strengthening the long-standing collaboration between Ryanair and the SAVE Group (the group managing Venice, Treviso, Verona and Brescia airports. Ed). Today's announcement of 86 routes (20 new) to the Veneto region sets Ryanair at the forefront of supporting the recovery of Italian tourism,” said Ryanair's Commercial Director, Jason McGuinness.

 “The airport tax is damaging the competitiveness of Italian airports”

“With the return of consumer confidence we are asking the Italian government to eliminate the municipal surcharge for all Italian airports. This tax is damaging the competitiveness of Italian airports compared to their European counterparts. The abolition of the tax would facilitate a rapid recovery of Italian air traffic, tourism and employment thanks to Ryanair's low fares and its long-term growth plan." Camillo Bozzolo, Aviation Sales Director SAVE Group, said: "The new Ryanair base in Venice will make it possible to speed up the recovery of pre-pandemic traffic volumes. Thanks to the three aircraft based at Marco Polo our catchment area will be connecting more and more niche destinations.”

Ryanair takes off towards winter by adding 12 new routes to the network from Naples, thus bringing the total number of flights operating on Capodichino Airport to 46.  A new aircraft has also been added to the four already based at the airport. The new winter routes from the Neapolitan airport are to Agadir, Bucharest, Fuerteventura, Lanzarote, London Luton, Milan Malpensa, Prague, Sofia, Tallinn, Tel Aviv, Tenerife and Zagreb

“The 5th Naples aircraft will create 800 new jobs at Italian airports this winter”

 "Ryanair is committed to rebuilding the Italian tourism industry, restoring connectivity as we expand across Europe and air traffic returns to pre-pandemic levels”, said Dara Brady, Ryanair’s Marketing Director.  “We will take delivery of 55 new B737-8200s this winter, and we are delighted to announce these 12 new routes from Naples, operating a total of 46 connections in 20 countries. The placement of the fifth aircraft here in Naples represents an additional $100 million investment and will create over 800 new jobs for pilots, cabin crews and engineers at our Italian airports this winter, as we prepare for further fleet and route growth in 2022”.

“Ryanair went from 19 routes in 2017 to 46 this winter”

“Ryanair is the number one airline in Naples in terms of passengers transported and destinations offered”, added Margherita Chiaramonte, Director of Network Development at Gesac . The collaboration with the airport, which began in 2017, has been one of constant growth and, after a difficult period, picks up again stronger than ever, confirming Ryanair’s confidence in our market. Routes went from 19 in the summer of 2017 to 46 in the winter of 2021 boosting the economic, social and employment growth of the area".

Vueling is to launch five new routes from Paris Orly to Italy. The Iag Group airline will be flying to Milan-Bergamo Orio al Serio, Bologna, Turin, Genoa and Bari in addition to the routes it has been operating for some time on Rome’s Fiumicino, Florence and Milan Malpensa airports.

The airline will operate 32 new routes from Paris Orly

Thanks to the concession by the European Commission and the Covid-19 recapitalization from the French state to Air France and to the Air France-KLM Holding, Vueling is boosting its operations from Paris Orly. Starting on November 2 it will open 32 new routes to ten countries that will join the 20 already linked to Paris Orly during the winter season.

Introducing flights to Germany, Norway, Sweden, Ireland, Morocco and Malta

In addition to increasing the number of connections with new destinations in Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom and Denmark Vueling is launching direct flights to Germany, Norway, Sweden, Ireland, Morocco and Malta for the first time.

The Dolce Vita Train, the new Arsenale project in collaboration with Trenitalia, follows in the footsteps of other similar historic trains like the famous Orient Express and will offer travel in luxury train carriages to well-known tourist areas and other lesser-known parts of Italy. The new CEO of Arsenale Express, the division in charge of the Dolce Vita project, is Jean-Marie Moreau.

30 years with the historical Orient Express trains

For over 30 years in charge of the development, maintenance and operation of the Belmond fleet of  seven trains in Europe, Asia and South America, Moreau previously oversaw the Venice Simplon Orient-Express train division. “It is a great honour for me to join Arsenale. This project will revolutionize rail tourism. My dream has always been to create a train in the most beautiful country in the world. Now I have this opportunity and my energies are dedicated to this mission.”

22 luxury Trenitalia carriages, cutting-edge design and great art

The Dolce Vita Train is due to start in February 2023 and the project has taken an important step forward with the first seven carriages (there will be 22 in total) entering the production and work consortium plant in Brindisi.  The management of the revamping and restyling of the carriages is entrusted to the Ma Group, and the carriages are Trenitalia's Z1, 1st and 2nd class rolling stock, some of the most comfortable used for Intercity trains since the mid-1980s. The furnishings of the cars will be inspired by leading names in Italian design such as Carlo Scarpa, Gio Ponti, Osvaldo Borsani, Piero Fornasetti and Ignazio Gardella, and they will have works by great artists including Lucio Fontana and Alberto Burri.

La Compagnie, the 100% Business Class French airline, is to launch a new route between New York Newark and Milan Malpensa at the end of March 2022. Founded in 2014 the carrier is now ready for its debut in Italy, albeit a few months later than planned as the initial project was to start Italian flights at the end of November 2021.

Five weekly Airbus A321neo all-business flights

A new Airbus A321neo, with 76 passengers in business class beds, will be deployed on the route five days a week. Departures from New York will be every day except Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 21.50, arriving the next day at 12.15 Return flights from Milan will very day except Wednesdays and Thursdays at 13.35, landing at 17.10. On the Malpensa-Newark route the airline will be competing directly with United Airlines and, indirectly, with Ita, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and Emirates, which of all operate on New York’s JFK airport.

Smart business services for demanding passengers

La Compagnie also operates transatlantic scheduled flights between New York (Newark International Newark) and Paris (Paris Orly Airport) as well as a seasonal service between New York (Newark International Airport) and Nice (Nice Côte d'Azur International Airport), as well as flights to Tel Aviv (Ben Gurion Airport). The Airbus A321neo fleet guarantees quality services, including a state-of-the-art entertainment system, unlimited Wi-Fi service and unique dining experiences featuring menus by celebrity New York and Parisian chefs.

Rome and Milan Bergamo are the only two Italian destinations of fledgling Norwegian airline Flyr. Following the launch of the first direct international flights from Oslo to Nice, Alicante and Malaga, Flyr announced the expansion of its network with four new destinations. In addition to the Eternal City and Bergamo, they will now fly to Copenhagen and Paris. Flights from Oslo-Gardermoen to Rome will start next Octber 15, while those to Milan Bergamo will be available from January, 5 2022 (twice a week).

Passengers can reserve a free central seat at the front of the cabin

Tickets for Rome and Milan Bergamo are already on sale on flyr.com and in the Flyr app.  Passengers who want a little more space on board, or who want to make sure no one is using the seat next to them, can make a self-service reservation with a free central seat at the front of the cabin. 

New destinations in Italy and Europe on the way

Flyr is a start-up that saw the light in 2021 in a particularly complex market context for air transport, and is the brainchild of "enthusiastic pilots with extensive experience in airlines such as SAS, Norwegian, Widerøe and Braathens." Now we just have to sit back and wait for the future expansion of destinations in Italy and Europe. 

The Emirates Airbus A380 will return to Italy from next 31 October, when it will once again operate between Milan and New York. Then, in October and November, the Dubai airline’s most iconic airliner will be progressively deployed to other destinations, increasing the number of cities served by the A380 to 27, a 65% increase over the current 16.

Flying back to popular business and leisure destinations 

Over the next six weeks Emirates will add exclusive A380 services to popular tourist and business destinations such as Amsterdam, Barcelona, Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Johannesburg, Madrid, Milan, Riyadh (subject to government approval), San Paolo and Zurich.  And from 1 October it will add Istanbul to its A380 network, the first Airbus A380 service to Turkey.