Air Italy has announced that thanks to popular demand, the Miami-Milan Malpensa route launched on June 8, 2018, is now on sale for the entire winter season.
“Thanks to a great response from our customers and increasing demand, we are opening up our winter inventory for our Milan–Miami flight, as we are already running at a load factor of over 80%. This expansion is a testament to our business plan and product offering, and is simply a response to the great support which we have been receiving from our customers,” said Neil Mills, Air Italy Chief Operating Officer
“Just last week we took delivery of our second Boeing 737 Max 8 after a successful showing at the Farnborough Airshow, and as our fleet continues to expand, we look forward to rolling out more frequencies and new destinations over the coming weeks and months to provide our new services to our rapidly growing customer base.”
The New York – Milan route is also on sale for the winter season and is available five times per week on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
For Miami, the frequencies will remain four times per week, on Mondays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, and the service will be operated by an Airbus A330-200, with a configuration of 24 seats in Business Class and 228 seats in Economy Class.
In addition, for the upcoming winter season, Air Italy is also providing ideal connections and great fares form New York to India’sMumbai and Delhi via Malpensa.
All Air Italy’s new services between Milan Malpensa and the USA, India and Thailand, are being operated with Air Italy’s new long-haul Airbus A330-200,ย which offers up to 24 seats in the exclusive Business Class cabin making it is possible to fly with maximum comfort in fully lie-flat seats with signature Italian cuisine accompanied by a selection of champagnes and Italian fine wines, Wi-Fi service, along with an extensive inflight entertainment service and the personalized attention from its on-board staff.
The Economy Class cabin with 228 seats also provides Air Italy’s guests with highly personalized service, WiFi connectivity, carefully crafted Italian cuisine and a wide selection of entertainment.
Top Copyright Photo (all others by Air Italy):ย Air Italy (3rd) Airbus A330-202 EI-GFX (msn 571) MXP (Javier Rodriguez). Image: 942617.
Kick-starting the final leg of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia, as weโve unveiled a new FIFA livery freshly painted on one of ourย Boeing 777 aircraft. We are ready for take-off to the 2022 World Cup.
The airline also released this statement:
Qatar Airways, an Official Partner and the Official Airline of FIFA, has taken its celebration of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia to the skies with a specially-branded Boeing 777 aircraft painted in FIFA livery, ahead of the tournamentโs Semi-Final and Final match.
The bespoke aircraft, which features distinctive FIFA branding, was hand-painted in Ireland and flown to Doha, where a press conference was held at Hamad International Airport before the aircraft flew to Moscow just in time for the tournamentโs Semi-Final and Final matches.
Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: โWe are tremendously excited to celebrate our passengersโ love for football by bringing this unique, one-of-a-kind aircraft to Moscow. As Official Partner and Official Airline of FIFA, we are proud to be able to unite football fans from around the world in Russia, helping them to experience the magic of the FIFA World Cup. This beautiful aircraft further cements our commitment to our important partnership with FIFA, as well as our loyalty to millions of football fans around the globe who have gathered in Russia to cheer their teams on.
โWe look forward to celebrating in the upcoming days with fans, both in Russia and around the world.โ
Engr. Badr Mohammed Al Meer, Chief Operating Officer at Hamad International Airport stated: โAs we prepare for the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar, we are thrilled to witness our national carrier celebrate the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia with this truly unique and spectacular aircraft. This moment encapsulates the spirit of the FIFA World Cup, celebrating football, art and culture on an international scale.โ
Qatar Airways kicked off its celebration of the tournament by teaming up with singer and TV starย Nicole Scherzinger for a re-recording of the classic song ‘Dancing in the Streets’, which resulted in an upbeat and infectiously fun-filled โmusicalโ style TV commercial. The song expresses the airlineโs firm belief that sport is a universal language, which has the power to inspire and encourage people to follow their dreams, with the commercial having a global reach to date of 2.6 billion people.
In December 2017, Qatar Airways launched daily services to the cultural capital of Russia, St. Petersburg, doubling the number of Russian routes operated by the carrier. The addition of St. Petersburg to Qatar Airwaysโ route map demonstrates the importance of the Russian market to the carrier, which has been flying to Moscow since 2004. The award-winning airline currently operates three daily flights between Moscow and Doha, in addition to a daily flight between St. Petersburg and Doha.
In April, Qatar Airways signed an MoU with Moscowโs Vnukovo International Airport, Russiaโs third-largest airport, committing to a potential acquisition of up to 25 per cent of the airportโs total shares, complementing the strong ties established with the country, and in support of the airlineโs existing investment strategy.
In other news,ย Qatar Airways has announced that the new Airbus A350-1000 (above) will be on display at this yearโsย Farnborough International Airshow, taking place from July 16-22 in Hampshire, United Kingdom.
The award-winning airline will showcase its ultra-modern Airbus A350-1000 and Boeing 777, both equipped with the award-winning, luxurious Qsuite Business Class seat. Unveiled last year, the patented Qsuite features the first-ever double bed in Business Class, as well as sliding panels that transform the space into a shared area customisable for groups of two, three, or four, allowing passengers to tailor their in-flight experience to meet their specific needs.
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Qatar Airways will also display the Air Italy Boeing 737 Max 8 โ the first aircraft to feature the recently rebranded airlineโs striking new livery. The new Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft offers modern and spacious cabins, superior operating economics as well as greater fuel efficiency. The aircraft was recently unveiled in Seattle and delivered to Milan on its inaugural flight, signaling a new era in aviation for the people of Italy.
Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: โQatar Airways is delighted to be returning to this yearโs Farnborough International Airshow. It has already been an incredible year for us, having been the Global Launch Customer for the Airbus A350-1000 in February. The six aircraft on display at Farnborough, including the A350-1000, the B777, and the Air Italy Boeing 737 Max 8, are the most technologically advanced aircraft in the skies today, and we look forward to welcoming visitors to Farnborough to experience them first hand.โ
The airlineโs cargo division will also publicly display one of its freighter aircraft for the first time at Farnborough International Airshow. The Boeing 747-8 freighter gives cargo operators the lowest operating costs and best economics of any large freighter airplane while providing enhanced environmental performance. It is optimised to provide greater revenue cargo-carrying capability than the Boeing 747-400, offering 16 per cent more cargo volume while keeping its unique nose door. The Boeing 747-8 freighter is also a popular choice of charter aircraft especially for oversized cargo. Qatar Airways Cargo is the worldโs leading international cargo carrier, serving more than 60 exclusive freighter destinations worldwide, with many recent additions to its freighter network, including Pittsburgh, Phnom Penh and Yangon.
The fifth aircraft to be displayed at the airshow will be the Qatar Executive Gulfstream G500 jet. Qatar Executive, which provides VVIP charter on-demand-services to an elite clientele, continues to grow its global reach, serving worldwide destinations from New York to Shanghai. To support its ambitious expansion plans, Qatar Executive continues to increase the size of its fleet, and plans to take delivery of up to 25 additional aircraft between now and 2022, a combination of G500, G600 and G650ER jets.
The sixth and final aircraft to be displayed is the JetSuiteX Embraer 135 jet. The luxuriously reconfigured Embraer 135 offers 30 comfortable Business Class style seats, making it the ideal solution for group charters. In April 2018, Qatar Airways announced that it had taken a minority stake in JetSuite, Inc. and indirectly in JetSuiteX, Inc. JetSuiteX, the sibling company to JetSuite, offers semi-private air service on the U.S. West Coast and beyond. JetSuiteX fills a niche in underserved short-haul markets and small airports, and enjoys a Net Promoter Score over 90, higher than the major U.S. airlines. JetSuiteX operates its fleet of Embraer 135 aircraft from private terminals in California and Nevada, with no lines, no waiting and no stress, at a price competitive with commercial travel.
Qatar Airways recently launched direct services to both London Gatwick and Cardiff airports, strengthening Qatar Airwaysโ presence in the United Kingdom. Passengers in the United Kingdom can now choose from up to 95 flights per week, including six daily departures from London Heathrow, 16 weekly from London Gatwick and Manchester, and daily flights from Cardiff, Birmingham and Edinburgh.
Qatar Airways has revealed a host of upcoming new global destinations, including the announcement that it will be the first Gulf carrier to begin direct service to Luxembourg. Other exciting new destinations to be launched by the airline include Tallinn, Estonia; Valletta, Malta; Langkawi, Malaysia and Da Nang, Vietnam.
Top Copyright Photo (all others by Qatar Airways):ย Qatar Airways Boeing 777-3DZ ER A7-BAX (msn 41780) (FIFA 2022 World Cup) DUB (Michael Kelly). Image: 942689.
Air Italy’s first flight from Milan (Malpensa) to Miami took off today (June 8). This follows last week’s launch of daily service to New York (JFK). The new route is being operated with newly acquired Airbus A330-200s.
The next new international route will be from Milan (Malpensa) to Bangkok starting on September 9, 2018. It will be operated four days a week.
Air Italy is full owned by AQA Holdings (51% Alisarda and 49% Qatar Airways).
Top Copyright Photo (all others by Air Italy):ย Air Italy (3rd) Airbus A330-202 EI-GFX (msn 571) ISS (Marco Finelli). Image: 942229.
Air Italy (3rd) (Milan-Malpensa), as previously reported, took delivery of its first Boeing 737-8 MAX 8 (EI-GFY) on May 12, 2018 in Seattle. Two days later the rebranded carrier, with officials from part-owner Qatar Airways ย standing by, welcomed the new airliner to the Milan Malpensa base with the water cannon salute (top) and the official unveiling. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was also held with Qatar Airways CEO Al Baker presiding (below).
All photos by Marco Finelli.
Air Italy has 19 additional copies on order.
New crew uniforms were also introduced.
Below Photo: Officially the new MAX 8s are designated as Boeing 737-8s as detailed on the data plate.
The first Air Italy MAX 8 is due to go into revenue service tomorrow (May 16) from MXP to Naples and Palermo.
In addition, the former Qatar Airways A330-203 A7-ACE (msn 571) (below) has now become EI-GFX ย and is being painted for Air Italy at Dublin. Qatar Airways is leasing five 260-seat Airbus A330-200s to Air Italy pending the delivery of new Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners in 2019.
Air Italy is an Italian airline fully owned by AQA Holding (51% Alisarda and 49% Qatar Airways), with its headquarters in Olbia. The company was established with the name of Alisarda on March 29, 1963, with the aim of promoting tourism to Sardinia.
In 1991 the name was changed to Meridiana. Following a merger with charter carrier Eurofly and the acquisition of the charter company Air Italy the airline became the most important Italian player in international leisure flights.
In December 2017 growth towards new domestic, medium-haul and long haul destinations from Milan Malpensa was announced reflecting a major strategic shift for the company.
In February 2018 a new corporate identity was presented and the company was rebranded as Air Italy.
Beginning in May 2018, Air Italy will add new domestic routes from Milan to Rome, Naples, Palermo, Catania, Lamezia Terme scheduled for connection to its newest long-range destinations including New York, Miami and Bangkok (starting in September 2018).
Its network also includes direct international flights from Milan Malpensa to Accra, Cairo, Dakar, Havana, Lagos, Mombasa, Moscow, Zanzibar and, from its Olbia Costa Smeralda hub, year-round scheduled services to Rome, Milan Linate and seasonal ones to a wide range of domestic and regional destinations.
Air Italyโs fleet, currently comprising 8 Boeing 737 NGs and 3 Boeing 767-300s, will be progressively renewed with 8 new aircraft – 3 brand new Boeing 737 MAX 8s and 5 Airbus A330-200s joining during 2018 and with the full retirement of the Boeing 767-300 by the end of 2018.
All photos by Marco Finelli, reporting from Milan.
Top Copyright Photo:ย Air Italy (3rd) Boeing 737-8 MAX 8 EI-GFY (msn 64605) MXP (Marco Finelli). Image: 941855.
Air Italy (3rd) has taken delivery of its first Boeing 737-8 MAX 8 (EI-GFY). The first copy was handed over by Boeing at a ceremony on Friday, May 11, 2018.
Top Copyright Photo (all others by Air Italy):ย Air Italy (3rd) Boeing 737-8 MAX 8 EI-GFY (msn 64605) BFI (Joe G. Walker). Image: 941730.
Air Italy (3rd) (formerly Meridiana) has 20 new Boeing 737-8 MAX 8 airplanes on order. It is the Italian launch partner for the new type.
The first MAX 8n has been painted by Boeing at Portland and is pending delivery.
The pictured EI-GFY also officially unveils the previously announced new 2018 livery for the reborn brand.
Top Copyright Photo: (all others by Craig Larsen Photography/Boeing):ย Air Italy (3rd) Boeing 737-8 MAX 8 EI-GFY (msn 64605) BFI (Brandon Farris). Image: 941666.
Meridiana on March 1, 2018 officially became the new version of Air Italy. The old Air Italy (below) was also officially disbanded as an airline entity. It had been leasing aircraft to Meridiana under the Meridiana brand.
Above Copyright Photo:ย Air Italy (2nd) Boeing 767-304 ER I-AIGG (msn 28041) YYC (Chris Sands). Image: 935106.
The company issued this statement:
As anticipated during the press conference held in Milan on February,19th , and following the effectiveness of the sale of the aviation business unit of Air Italy to Meridiana fly, today the company has been renamed “AIR ITALY” SpA.
The integration of the two airlines operational activities, with the consequent unification of the personnel and of the respective organizational structures, is now completed, also thanks to ENAC (Italian Civil Aviation Authority) personnel, who fully supported AIR ITALY on technical and administration procedures.
The first long haul flight of the new AIR ITALY, IG3254, departed on March 1, 2018 at 02.00 (Italian local time) from Milan Malpensa Airport to International Abeid Amani Karume airport of Zanzibar, while the first domestic flight IG1111 from Olbia to Rome Fiumicino left the Costa Smeralda airport at 07.00 am.
The integration of the operating structures of the two carriers in the new AIR ITALY S.p.A. will deliver a better and more efficient organization focused on two main bases, Olbia for short-haul flights and Milan Malpensa for international and intercontinental flights. The currently operating Boeing 737 (top) and Boeing 767 aircraft will maintain the Meridiana livery until their phase out, while from next spring 3 Boeing 737 MAX 8 (below) and 5 Airbus A330-200 will join the fleet with the new AIR ITALY livery.
The historical “IG” code remains; it distinguished the company’s activity since its establishment in 1963, asย Alisarda, transporting over 100 million passengers.
The start of the new AIR ITALY has coincided with the exit from the fleet of I-SMER, the last of the 18 MD-80 aircraft of the same series, that over 30 years have been protagonists of the history of Alisarda / Meridiana and through out the journeys of its loyal passengers. Airport and staff employees have saluted the take-off from the Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport.
Top Copyright Photo:ย Meridiana Boeing 737-84P WL EI-IGN (msn 35074) LGW (SPA). Image: 925445.
Meridiana fly fully acquired Air Italy (2nd) in October 2011. By April 2013, Air Italy had been fully merged into Meridiana fly, which decided to adopt the shorter Meridiana name once again.
Now under the guidance of new partner Qatar Airways, the company is reverting back and will adopt the Air Italy brand as the new stylist airline of Italy.
On February 19, 2018 the airline formally made this announcement:
Meridiana, Italyโs long established privately owned airline, has announced an exciting new phase of growth and development with its new identity as Air Italy.
During a press conference in Milan, Mr. Marco Rigotti, Chairman of Alisarda and AQA Holding; His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, Group Chief Executive of Qatar Airways; Mr. Sultan Allana of Alisarda and AKFED and Mr. Francesco Violante, Chairman of Meridiana, unveiled Air Italyโs fresh and modern brand identity and presented the new airline business plan, focusing on excellent passenger experience and the next generation of traveller, aimed at positioning itself as Italyโs leading airline.
Air Italy aims to have approximately 50 aircraft by 2022 and is already committed to receiving 20 of the brand new Boeing 737 MAX aircraft type from April 2018, over the next three years. Air Italy will also receive five Airbus A330-200 aircraft this year from the Qatar Airwaysโ fleet, prior to these being further replaced by Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft, commencing in May 2019.
Network destinations will also enjoy continued expansion, with new long-range routes from Milan to New York and Miami already announced recently, that will soon be followed by new short-haul routes connecting Milan and the airlineโs long range destinations to Rome, Naples, Palermo, Catania and Lamezia Terme. In September 2018 Air Italy will be launching four weekly flights from Milan to Bangkok. Three additional long-haul destinations will be opened by the end of the year.
Further plans also include strengthening the short-range network to improve connectivity and launching the first long-range destination from Rome Fiumicino in 2019. Air Italy aims to fly more than 50 year-round routes by 2022.
Commenting on the new airline identity and developments, Chairman of Alisarda, Mr. Marco Rigotti, said: โOur ambition is strong now as it has been throughout our history, starting with the aim of assisting in the development of tourism in Costa Smeralda and, later, to develop the leisure and charter Italian market place.
โOver the last 10 years Meridiana has witnessed the radical transformation of the European aviation industry, characterised by a fierce competition. Air Italy aims to be a leader in the global industry, thanks to the airlineโs hub in Milan Malpensa, and the reinforced base of Rome Fiumicino, alongside the seasonal network from Olbiaโs Costa Smeralda heritage base which is also the headquarters of the airlineโ.
Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, commented: โQatar Airways is known the world over as the best airline in the world, as voted for in Skytrax 2017. It is with this ambition and dedication to the passenger experience that we will work together to build a sustainable airline alternative for the people of Italy and global travellers to and from this beautiful countryโ.
โWith high quality and an affordable schedule of services in the domestic, regional and intercontinental segments, Air Italy will achieve global scale in both fleet and network expansion, offering high-quality premium class products across all flights on a modern fleet.โ
Qatar Airways previously strengthened its commitment to Italy in 2017 with the acquisition of 49 percent of AQA Holding, the new parent company of Air Italy, while the previous sole shareholder Alisarda kept 51 percent.
Meridianaโs Chairman, Francesco Violante, commented: โAir Italy has an ambition to reach a goal of transporting 10 million passengers per year by 2022 traveling to, from and via Italy. We expect more than 8 million of these to use Milan Malpensa airport. In support of this ambition, there is a great need to develop new skills and competences amongst our people and for all to embrace change as a fantastic opportunity. I wholeheartedly support this new effort.โ
Meridiana has carried more than 100 million passengers to date as full-service carrier, operating both short-haul and long-haul flights. The Company has more than 1,400 dedicated employees, maintains codeshare partnerships with other major airlines, and is a full member of IATA and the largest airline at Olbia Costa Smeralda airport.
Top Copyright Photo (all others by Air Italy):ย Meridiana Boeing 737-84P WL EI-IGN (msn 35074) LGW (SPA). Image: 925445.
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