EasyJet is boosting its Italian network with the introduction of 8 new international routes which are already on sale through the carrier's distribution channels. The new routes include, from 1 December and throughout the winter season, Milan Linate to Berlin Brandenburg daily; Milan’s Linate city airport to Amsterdam which doubles to two frequencies per day, and routes to Paris Charles de Gaulle and Orly as well as to London Gatwick. A new daily Milan Malpensa to Porto route joins the one already on sale and will start on February 20.

New Father Christmas flights to Rovaniemi

In view of the Christmas holidays from 19 December the company will operate the new Milan Malpensa-Rovaniemi route twice weekly. Flights have also started from Brussels National Airport to Naples, Catania and Palermo, and from the Sicilian airports there will also be services to Zurich. In addition, capacity to and from Sardinia will be enhanced by boosting frquencies on the Milan Bergamo-Olbia starting from 17 December.

Twice weekly flights to Sharm el Sheikh

There are already flights from Naples to Tel Aviv and, starting from 31 October, also to Tenerife, from both of which there are also flights to Milan Malpensa. In addition starting on 31 October from Venice’s Marco Polo airport, and from 3 November from Naples Capodichino, there will be twice weekly flights to Sharm el Sheikh.

“We are working to integrate the leisure and business sectors in such a way that the competitive value of our company is evenly distributed and becomes a value for everyone. We want to pass on the levels of trust and reliability in our company to our customers, and the intermediation of travel agents is crucial,” said Pietro Diamantini, High Speed Business Director Trenitalia

High Speed in Europe, and a new International Business Unit

The recovery of the domestic market post-Covid is picking up and Trenitalia has many interests on foreign markets. In Spain there is company for high speed, in Great Britain regional and Intercity services as well as high speed as in Switzerland and Germany, and soon Greece too will have high-speed trains. “Given our many international interests a new business unit has just been set up. The International Business Unit is our fourth, after High Speed, Intercity and Regional, and will coordinate Trenitalia's international interests.”

Intercity trains. Connecting provincial capitals and main cities

Intercity is a public service for the Ministry of Transport, operating medium and long-distance routes that connect all the provincial capitals and main Italian cities,” said Business Intercity Director Domenico Scida  “The Intercity has a dual function, first as a commuter service and in recent years growing in importance in the leisure sector.”

Back to 70% of pre-Covid traffic levels  

“In the summer of 2021, with the recovery of tourism post–Covid, we worked together with holiday destinations and there was strong demand for the Adriatic, the South and Sicily. We operate 130 connections a day across Italy. The domestic market has picked up, and in terms of passengers we are now approaching 70% of pre-Covid traffic. 

Improving the quality of the rolling stock

“We have plans to improve the quality of the rolling stock and services on board. Intercity has two products: day and night, the latter with berths as well as seats.  By the end of the year all Intercity day trains will have places to carry bicycles and vending machines for food and beverages.”

“In Italy the regional train is the true protagonist of mobility” 

“In the last two years the true protagonist has been the regional train,” said Regional Business Director Sabrina De Filippis.  “Almost 50% of our trains are new, with high-quality services increasingly aimed at local tourism. The summer of 2021 was exceptional with a 20-30% increase in demand over 2020, which had already gone well.    Now we are working on new pricings aimed at families, friends and couples.

Train+bus services and new pricing 

Last year the Regional Business Unit took agency sales from 3% to over 12%.”Our big dream is to see our regional services in all tour operator packages”, continued De Filippis. “The regional train is the true protagonist of mobility, and where we do not reach by train we have local partnerships that allow our passengers to conclude their journey by bus to smaller localities. Visitors already know the Frecciarossa. Through our travel agent partners we want to get the message across that our regional trains are the best way to get from one end of the country to the other.”

With 8 November confirmed as the first day for the entry of vaccinated international travelers to the United States, La Compagnie has announced its winter schedule. The network of the all-business carrier includes flights from New York to Italy, with its debut on the Milan Malpensa route. This is scheduled for 13 April 2022 with La Compagnie operating four weekly New York Newark-Milan flights.

Flights from Tel Aviv, Paris and Nice to the Big Apple

Also confirmed are the two weekly flights between Tel Aviv and Newark International Airport starting 4 December, flights between the Big Apple and Paris Orly which will be daily starting in November 2021, and three weekly seasonal flights from New York to Nice which will resume on 7 May 2022.  

Changes and reimbursements up to 24 hours before departure.

“Our team is prepared and ready to implement what we have been planning for in recent months,” said Christian Vernet, President La Compagnie.  “Using all our capacity to expand our horizons is not only essential but relevant when it comes to meeting the expected increase in demand on both the leisure and business markets.”  

In consideration of the period still marked by uncertainty at various levels La Compagnie guarantees 100% flex rates, which can be changed and reimbursed at no cost, up to 24 hours before departure.

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.