ITA Airways marks 3 years of operations; plans Star Alliance entry in 2026, stronger Network
Representative Image_ITA Airways event
In the Winter season, the Italian carrier is operating a new flight from Rome Fiumicino to Mauritius with Airbus A330neo with 2 weekly frequencies. Male (Maldives) service resumes December 19 with one daily flight until January 6, then three weekly flights (four in February). ITA Airways is also increasing frequencies to Bangkok with daily flights as of December 8 and enhance services to Buenos Aires to nine flights per week reaching ten during the Christmas/New Year period. The carrier will also resume operations to Tel Aviv in January 2026, the resumption of flights holds strategic importance for ITA Airways and represents a significant step for Italy, further strengthening the commercial, social, and cultural ties between the two countries.
Three years after entering the aviation market, ITA Airways is signalling a confident expansion strategy, globally and within its India portfolio. The airline was established in November 2020, becoming Italy's new flag carrier, succeeding its predecessor, Alitalia. Entering India, the carrier then began Delhi–Rome operations in December 2022 with three weekly flights and now operates daily, a scale-up driven by strong travel trade backing and sustained demand by the Indians.
“We started Delhi–Rome with just three weekly flights, but thanks to our trade partners, we were able to move to a daily service the very next winter and we continue to operate daily,” said Fabio Bigotti, Country Manager-India, ITA Airways, in an exclusive interaction with T3. He added that the route is operated by the Airbus A330-900, “one of the most modern and comfortable aircraft in our fleet, offering significant fuel savings and CO₂ emission reductions.”
On the India strategy, the airline is currently concentrating majorly on the Delhi route However, Bigotti noted that India remains a priority for long-term growth: “India is one of the most important aviation markets in the world. Once fleet availability improves, we could evaluate additional growth in the Indian market.”
Globally, the airline is in expansion mode too. In the winter season, ITA Airways will open a new route to Mauritius (already launched on November 7th) and resume flights to the Maldives, increase frequencies to Bangkok with daily flights from December 8th, and enhance services to Buenos Aires up to ten flights per week during the Christmas/New year period. The carrier will also resume operations to Tel Aviv in January 2026, observing its importance for ITA Airways, Bigotti shared with T3.
Another major development underway is ITA Airways’ planned entry into the Star Alliance at the beginning of 2026, strengthening its international connectivity. “We have started a strong collaboration with Lufthansa, which owns 41% of our capital share as of January 2025, and the other carriers in the Lufthansa Group. Joining Star Alliance next year will significantly improve our global reach,” Bigotti asserted.
ITA Airways is also gearing up for global visibility as an official sponsor of the 2026 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in Italy — a role Bigotti described as “a matter of great pride for us.”Soaring demand for India–Italy travel
With India emerging as a high-potential market for outbound travel to Europe, the airline sees sustained demand for Italy. Citing macro trends, he said, “India is one of the fastest-growing aviation markets in the world, driven by a rapidly expanding economy, improved infrastructure, and increasingly flexible aviation policies.”
He emphasised the rising demand for India–Italy travel: “Business ties are growing, student and family flows are increasing, and we are seeing a rise in premium travellers. The potential is significant,” he added, while speaking on the sidelines of its 3-year anniversary celebrations at the Italian Embassy Cultural Centre in Delhi.
The event brought together the senior officials from the embassy, the airline, the supporting travel partners, media personnels and the representatives from Dex Group (ITA Airways GSA in India). The top trade partners like Riya Travels, Akbar Travels, Yatra, Make My Trip, EaseMyTrip, TBO.com, Cleartrip, Balmer Lawrie among others, were recognised for their consistent support to the airline.
Translating contacts into contracts; direct flight crucial for bilateral ties
Speaking at the event, Italian Ambassador to India, Antonio Enrico Bartoli noted that relations between the two countries are expanding rapidly across multiple fronts. The Ambassador also highlighted three priority areas- professional mobility, tourism, and investment. “India offers a large, skilled workforce, and the mobility agreement we are implementing will create new professional opportunities. In tourism, we are punching below our weight on both sides. We would like to see more Indian tourists in Italy, more Italian tourists in India, and greater investments from major Indian companies, starting with Taj in Italy.”
He also underlined the strength of the Indian diaspora in Italy. “We host the second-largest Indian community in the European Union after Germany. All the ingredients for a successful partnership already exist.”
Expanding connectivity is central to this collaboration. Stressing the importance of turning the intent into outcomes, he added: “We want to translate contacts into contracts; therefore, a direct flight is not merely a convenience—it is a crucial piece of the puzzle in strengthening bilateral ties.”
“I hope we can soon explore additional flights to more Indian cities, especially Mumbai. Rome is our hub, and ITA Airways’ network offers strong onward connections to Africa, South America, North America, and beyond.”
He concluded on a positive note saying, “As our ties grow stronger, I hope ITA Airways will expand its presence, bringing Rome even closer to Delhi and soon to other Indian cities.”
