ITA, the new smaller incarnation of
former national flag carrier Alitalia, on Wednesday got its
license to fly.
Civil aviation authority ENAC granted ITA, which stands for
Italia Trasporto Aereo, its certificate as an air operator (COA)
and its license to exercise air transport.
ITA will be fully operational from October 15, after the
positive conclusion of talks with the European
Commission, the economy ministry said last month.
The first flights of the new slimmed-down airline will leave on
that date, it said.
Transport Minister Enrico Giovannini said: "with ITA a new
important Italian airline is born, with significant growth
prospects, and which will be able to compete on the national and
international market".
ITA will start out with a fleet of 52 aircraft, which will go up
to 78 in 2022 with the arrival of new-generation aeroplanes,
according to the new company's industrial plan.
The fleet will further increase to 105 aircraft by the end of
2025, including 81 new generation aeroplanes (77% of the fleet)
to reduce the airline's environmental impact and boost
efficiency.
This year ITA will have 2,750-2,950 employees handling the
aviation activities, a number that will go up to 5,550-5,700 by
the end of the plan in 2025.
The company will also introduce a new labour contract aimed at
giving it greater flexibility and competitiveness.
It aims to break even by the third quarter of 2023.
Its hubs will be Rome Fiumicino and Milan Linate airports.
It will start out with 45 destinations and 61 routes and this
will go up to 74 destinations and 89 routes in 2025.
Its long-haul destinations in the IATA Winter 2021 season will
be New York (from Rome and Milano, and Tokyo Haneda, Boston and
Miami (from Rome).
In the the IATA Summer 2022 season there will be new flights to
Sao Paulo, Buenos Aires, Washington and Los Angeles.
The loss-making former flag-carrier has been in extraordinary
administration for years and the pandemic made its plight even
worse.
The European Commission asked Rome to show there would be
"discontinuity" to give the green light to the launch of ITA, a
new State-controlled company.
A European Commission spokesperson said Brussels will "remain in
close contact with the Italian authorities to ensure that the
launch of ITA as a vital, new market player is in line with the
EU laws on State aid.
"Italy has reassured the European Commission that, at the end of
the Alitalia operations, passengers' rights will be protected,"
the spokesperson added.
Italian trade unions said the new airline was "born weak" and
its business plan was "unacceptable".
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
