Air Canada and ITA Airways, both flag carriers of their respective countries, have just announced a new milestone in their partnership — a codesharing agreement to enhance connectivity between Canada and Italy, as well as further destinations. This comes as ITA Airways prepares to become a member of Star Alliance in 2026.
A Joint Celebration
The two airlines celebrated the new agreement today, which is set to allow passengers to travel on more than 30 new one-stop routes with seamless connections.
Mark Galardo, Executive Vice President, Chief Commercial Officer and President of Cargo at Air Canada, says:
“We’re thrilled to expand our partnership with ITA Airways through our new codeshare agreement that complements our robust network to Italy. This deepening of ties will allow customers travelling on Air Canada to Rome-Fiumicino to conveniently book and seamlessly connect to ten popular destinations across Italy, Africa, Israel and Albania. Likewise, ITA Airways customers arriving in Toronto will benefit from access to 10 key Canadian and U.S. cities across our network. With work underway to facilitate ITA Airways’ entry into Star Alliance, we are developing significant partnership synergies. This will form the foundation for a strong, long-term relationship between our two flag-carrying airlines.”
The agreement will see Air Canada placing its AC code on select routes operated by ITA Airways from Rome-Fiumicino Airport (FCO):
- Italy: Lamezia Terme, Palermo, Catania, Florence and Bari;
- Egypt: Cairo;
- Tunisia: Tunis;
- Algeria: Algiers;
- Albania: Tirania;
- Israel: Tel Aviv — temporarily suspended.
ITA Airways will, in return, place its AZ code on select routes operated by Air Canada from Toronto Pearson Airport (YYZ), including the following:
- Canada: Montreal, Ottawa, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary and St. Johns;
- United States: Boston, Orlando, Dallas and Fort Lauderdale.
Joerg Eberhart, Chief Executive Officer and General Manager of ITA Airways, was similarly optimistic of the prospects of greater connectivity between Italy and North America:
“The codeshare agreement with Air Canada is a great step forward for our growth strategy. This partnership improves connectivity for our passengers travelling between Italy and North America, our first market beyond Italy, serving both leisure and business travellers. Moreover, it enables us to offer seamless connections for passengers of Italian origin residing in Canada and the United States, facilitating their journeys to Italy and beyond, while providing them the opportunity to fully experience the excellence of Made in Italy — a heritage that ITA Airways proudly represents as an ambassador worldwide.”
Passengers can purchase codeshare tickets as of today for flights commencing on 21 July.
ITA Airways: Star Alliance Membership on the Horizon
ITA Airways is looking to join Air Canada, and 24 member airlines to become a member of Star Alliance, with full membership expected to be confirmed in early 2026. It has recently expanded its offering to passengers by providing them with connections to more than 100 additional destinations, both in Europe and beyond, through its codeshare agreements with five Lufthansa Group airlines. The codesharing agreement is an opportunity with mutual growth; in May, Air Canada launched its route between Montreal (YUL) and Naples (NAP), allowing North American passengers to experience the Amalfi Coast. Both airlines are also working together on a mutual and reciprocal system for their respective loyalty programmes.
Will you be taking advantage of these new connections? Let us know below.
