Although Italy boasts a brand new national carrier, ITA Airways, the airline’s business is still being outlined. On the one hand, ITA management is dealing with a sensitive buying process. On the other hand, ITA still needs to define which company will take charge of the handling and maintenance sides of the business.
Swissport, Alitech and ITA
On March 14, ITA signed a preliminary agreement with the handling company Swissport International. Such an agreement is framed into the acquisition process of the handling branch of the former Italian national carrier, Alitalia.
If Swissport International won the tender, this preliminary contract would translate into a long-term contract for the handling operations at Milan Linate and Rome Fiumicino airports.
On the contrary, if Swissport did not win the tender submitted by Alitalia in special administration, the preliminary contract would be cancelled. In this hypothesis, ITA has expressed its interest in buying the Alitalia handling branch.
By operating the handling side of the business internally, ITA has stated it will perform more efficiently, both from an economic and service level (SL) point of view. Even if Swissport was to win the tender, ITA has declared it has no intention to buy any stake in the company.
As far as maintenance is concerned, ITA has also signed an agreement with the ex-Alitalia maintenance branch, namely Alitech. Similarly, in this case, the contract is a preliminary long-term agreement for the maintenance of the airline’s fleet. The main reason behind ITA’s willingness to buy Alitech is the professionalism of the employees.
A brand new airline for a codeshare agreement
In the meantime, ITA airways continue its expansion process by signing codeshare agreements. The last one was with Royal Air Maroc. This agreement will allow ITA passengers to reach Casablanca with direct flights from Rome, Milan Malpensa, Turin, Bologna, and Venice. Once arrived, ITA customers will be able to continue their journey to domestic destinations in Morocco or continue their journey to other African destinations.
Do you think ITA is moving in the right direction in terms of expansion? Let us know in the comment below!
