The focus is on long-haul, the centrality of the agency sales channel, the pursuit of quality and the creation of a product that is increasingly attentive to the needs of partners and of end consumers.
ITA Airways is entering a year that will mark its destiny - once the privatization negotiations are concluded - consolidating and expanding the development that started in October 2021. A first year, or little more, “that has been satisfying, thanks chiefly to the trade and the trust they have shown us,” says Emiliana Limosani, chief commercial officer ITA Airways. “We know that we can do much better by boosting the number of destinations, offering a product our trade partners can sell, and studying solutions that meet their needs. It is a challenge we will face together.”What is ITA Airways offering in 2023?
"Well, let me say that that our growth stands at +73%, and is +107% on long-haul services. An increase that clearly goes hand in hand with the expansion of the fleet.”
What does the current booking trend show?
"Operationally we had a positive closure of 2022, with a regularity factor of 99% and an average punctuality of over 82%, and with peaks of 87% in December. We carried over 10 million passengers, and the financial year closed with higher revenues than the set targets. January was also a positive month, driven by the demand for summer holidays and for business travel. Advance bookings started months ago, and are continuing and consolidating, both for February and in particularly for April, Easter and the long weekends. It is very encouraging that of the daily week-on week-bookings 30-40% are for the summer.”
Are there positive indicators also from the corporate world?
"Business traffic is certainly lagging behind leisure, and also behind what we were used to in pre-pandemic times, but there has been growth since the end of 2022, and it is continuing. We also see a recovery in the MICE sector which shows that companies are still willing to invest. It’s difficult to predict when there will be a full recovery, volumes are certainly far below those of 2019, but traffic is of a higher quality and willing to spend more on business travel."
Advance booking has been put to the test over the past two years....
"The lack of advance planning was one of the critical issues in the pandemic years, for everyone. Being able to count on advance booking is fundamental. So, in addition to responding to the rise in fares and to costs in general, there will be a campaign on several fronts, chiefly with regard to pricing, and it will reward those who book well in advance for the summer season and also for the coming winter.”
Is there anything new regarding pricing?
"We are trying to offer a quality product both in terms of connections and frequencies, but we also want to offer more flexibility to our customers. In particular on short-haul and medium-haul - but the same applies to all our destinations - we have been working on new fares that are increasingly customized for different target customers. For a few months now with the Economy Light fare it has been possible to change tickets for an extra charge of €65. In the case of the Economy Classic - again on domestic routes - changes will be possible for an additional €30.
What’s new and what is the weight of your long-haul on overall revenue?
"For intercontinental routes it is around 45% of ITA’s overall revenue. This summer we will have 68 destinations, of which 22 domestic, 36 international and 10 intercontinental. After the latest openings on Malè and New Delhi, it will be Washington's turn from 2 June with five weekly A330 flights that will become daily in August, followed by San Francisco from 1 July with three flights a week that will become five in high season. These will be operated by our flagship A350s. These two new additions will join the destinations already served in North America, with Boston, Miami and Los Angeles in addition to New York, operated from both Fiumicino and Milan Malpensa. Moving forward, the new Rome-Rio de Janeiro will take off on 29 October, adding another leisure destination to Sao Paulo and Buenos Aires.
You mentioned the expansion of the fleet: how is it progressing?
"In 2023 there will be 33 new aircraft in the ITA Airways fleet, eight for long haul and 25 for short and medium haul. The commitment to have a fleet with 80% new aircraft by 2026 still stands, and by the end of this year 50% of our fleet will be new. The first A220s have already arrived, and by the end of February the first A320neo with our blue livery, dedicated to Giacinto Facchetti, will be in service.
