Italy’s flagship airline, ITA Airways (AZ) announced it is celebrating its fifth anniversary from international tourism event, TTG Travel Experience, in Rimini. Along with its winter schedule of 55 destinations, AZ also announced new domestic flights between Rome Fiumicino (FCO) and Verona (VRN) from March 2027. It launched new direct long-haul flights from FCO to Santo Domingo (SDQ) in the Dominican Republic from November, as well as a new planned (but problematic) international route between FCO and Caracas (CCS) in Venezuela next year.
Italia Trasporto Aereo (ITA)
ITA Airways’ story started in 2020, as the successor to Italy’s original flag carrier, Alitalia, which was finally retired after 74 years following financial issues and special administration measures.
AZ’s first domestic flight from Milan Linate (LIN) to Bari (BRI), took place on October, 15, 2021 featuring special “Born in 2021” livery. Since then, the airline has grown rapidly, now with a fleet of 109 aircraft, carrying around 72 million passengers on over 580,000 scheduled flights.
In 2022, six AZ board members resigned following the start of the privatisation process of the airline.
The Lufthansa Group had considered shares and subsequently in 2025, announced it became a 41% shareholder in the airline, with the other 59% being owned by the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF).
However, in May of this year, it was announced that Lufthansa would exercise an option to lift its stake in AZ to 90%, which would form a majority control. If approved by the European Union (EU) and United States (US), the merger is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2027. At the time, in a press release, AZ said it “welcomed the decision” and “was ready to enter a new phase in its journey with the Lufthansa Group.” It also confirmed it would continue to operate under its own brand.
Problematic new route
Joerg Eberhart, AZ’s CEO and General Manager said the airline’s fifth anniversary was an “important milestone”. He added:
“The new intercontinental routes represent only the first step in a broader development and
investment plan, shared with the Lufthansa Group, which aims to further strengthen the airline’s network and competitiveness.”
The new route direct flight from FCO to SDQ will be operated with Airbus A330neo aircraft.
The new FCO to CCS is set to begin service on March 30, 2027 with an Airbus A330-900. According to the Focus on Travel News website, Alitalia previously operated direct flights before it ceased operations in October 2021. Since then, travellers have had to rely on connecting flights at other international hubs. When this new route was separately announced on Oct. 13, Eberhart said it would be “a service that goes beyond its commercial dimension, bringing people, families and businesses closer together and renewing the historic bond between Italy and Venezuela.”
However, this route is problematic because of multiple current international travel advisories against travelling to Venezuela, including from the Italian Foreign Ministry, which says on its website:
“In relation to the prevailing situation, after the elections of 25 May and 27 July 2025, given the general security context and the continuing risk of arbitrary arrests, travel to the country is not recommended, except for reasons of absolute necessity.”
On Oct, 14, 2026, the the United Kingdom’s (UK) Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) updated its travel advice page to ‘advise against all but essential travel to parts of Venezuela’ (including Caracas) along with to ‘advise against all travel to parts of Venezuela’ (Amazonas state and to within 40km or 25 miles of its borders with Colombia, Brazil and Guyana). Reasons include threats of terrorist attacks, the uncertain political and economic situation, earthquakes in June resulting in a disaster zone being declared in La Guaira, protests, demonstrations, crime, armed groups and criminal gangs.
The FCDO page also states: “Availability of commercial flights to and from Venezuela is limited. Maiquetía Simón Bolívar International Airport, which serves Caracas, resumed commercial flight operations on 1 September with limited capacity.”
With the backdrop of international travel advisories, it would therefore seem fair to say that the launch of this new route from FCO to CCS, is not quite the positive news AZ would have hoped for. It remains to be seen whether it will go ahead as planned next spring.
And finally…Sharon Stone
Last month, AZ also launched a new global communication plan “Simply Italian” with American actress Sharon Stone as its global ambassador. This will replace the airline’s previous “inspired by Alitalia” branding. Stone said:
“The Italian adventure is something I believe everyone should experience, and there’s no better way to begin it than with ITA Airways.”
The fifth anniversary and ongoing story of ITA Airways, is an adventure in itself.
Have you ever flown with ITA Airways? Let us know in the comments below.
