Alitalia has signed a codeshare agreement with Azul Brazilian Airlines, the largest airline in Brazil by number of cities served.
As part of this agreement, customers can conveniently connect to Azulโs unrivaled domestic network when flying Alitalia into and out of Sรฃo Paulo (Guarulhos) and Rio de Janeiro (Galeรฃo).
The benefits and convenience of a codeshare ticket include those of thru check-in and thru-baggage.
Under the agreement, the codeshared network will include 19 domestic Brazilian destinations served by Azul in connection with Alitalia services to/from Sรฃo Paulo (Guarulhos) and Rio de Janeiro (Galeรฃo):ย Belรฉm, Porto Seguro, Brasilia, Cuiabรก, Belo Horizonte, Curitiba, Florianรณpolis, Fortaleza, Goiรขnia, Foz do Iguaรงu, Ilhรฉus, Navegantes, Porto Alegre, Ribeirรฃo Preto, Recife, Rio de Janeiro Santos Dumont, Salvador, Vitรณria and Campinas-Viracopos.
In other news, Alitalia will start a new route from Milan (Linate) to Hamburg starting on March 29, 2020.
This was the belief expressed at the TTGExperience travelย trade fair heldย in Rimini, Italy by Fabio Maria Lazzerini – Chief Business Officer of the Italian airline. “To say that Alitalia is in good condition would be a lie, but it is in better condition than two years ago,” says Lazzerini. For the past 23 months, there has been a growth in turnover, the fleet has decreased and is being more utilized than in the times of the old Alitalia – SAI under Etihad management. The company is trying to save money in every corner of the management team. Losses continue to exist butย to a lesser extent than in the past. But economies at this point are not enough because there are losses.
What has been done in these two years is to look for those possibilities to increase profitability, increase revenue per passenger and increase the share of corporate passengers with different actions to get them back on Alitalia’s jets.
In addition, the company has made other innovations, especially in the digital environment.
For the winter timetable there have been contractions in the national network.
The company has remodeled the shuttle service between Rome Fiumicino and Milan Linate which drops to 21 flights a day. In the past, it reached to about fifty frequencies or so every day.
Several national routes from the north to the south from Verona were also decreased and Bologna – Catania and Venice – Catania were reduced from two flights to one a day.
The daily routes to Stuttgart and Cologne are the new highlighted additions and Dusseldorf will double from November 1, with 12 flights a week. The scheme is to use the cancelled frequencies on the Rome – Milan and reuse them on connections to Europe also in connection fromย Fiumicino flights.
Flights to Paris increases with the creation of the Shuttle Milan-Paris with six flights a day to Charles De Gaulle airport and two to Orly, with the same flexibility on some fares in the same way as the Shuttle Milan-London.
Linate will have a potential of 639 weekly frequencies to 27 destinations.
A lot of attention is paid to the intercontinental network where the destinations that produce profitability like Washington are rewarded, even if it has reached break even after only two months from start up and confirmed also for the winter.
The arrival of San Francisco sees the possibility of better serving California and west coast with the possibility of entry and exit in the two airports, which are Los Angeles and San Francisco. According to the Corriere della Sera, the new service could give โฌ 62 million gross turnaround and over 20,000 passengers.
With 82.2 percent of flights landed on schedule, in June 2019 Alitalia was the most punctual airline in Europe. The Italian airline is at the top of the ranking even considering the first half of 2019, when Alitalia recorded an on-time performance at 86.8%.
In June Alitalia ranked sixth most punctual airline in the world and this result allowed the Airline to reach the third place in the ranking of the most punctual airlines in the world in the first six months of 2019.
The results were certified by FlightStats, the authoritative US independent society which every month drafts the list of the major airlines in the world for on-time performance, comparing the data of equivalent airlines for size and network.
The analysis performed by FlightStats reported that, in June, the Alitalia on-time performance index was 7.9 percentage points higher than the average punctuality index of world airlines (74.3%) and 11.6 percentage points higher than the average of European airlines (70.6%). Comparing the results of the first half 2019 with the same period of 2018 – when Alitalia recorded an on-time performance at 85.1% – the Italian airline confirmed the place at the top of the European ranking and further improved its position in the world ranking, moving from fourth place in the first 6 months of 2018 to the third place recorded this year, thus confirming an excellent operating performance.
FlightStats is one of the few data service companies that monitors almost every flight operated by each airline. FlighStats follows the โA14โ on-time performance method, monitoring flights which arrive at the gate less than 15 minutes after the scheduled arrival time.
Washington’s Dulles International Airport made this announcement:
Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) celebrated Alitaliaโs inaugural flight Thursday (May 2) between the U.S. National Capital Region and Rome Leonardo da Vinci Fiumicino International Airport.
โAlitalia is a great addition to our roster of 33 international carriers at Dulles International Airport, offering 65 daily flights to nearly five dozen nonstop international destinations,โ said Jerome L. Davis, executive vice president and chief revenue officer of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.
There was a festive atmosphere at the gate, as passengers on the inaugural flight sipped Italian illy caffรจย at a pop-up coffee bar and snapped photos with iconic Italian landmarks at a photo booth. Alitaliaโs chief business officer, Fabio Lazzerini, and Italyโs ambassador to the United States, Armando Varricchio, welcomed customers and recognized the importance of the new routeโs service to connect the U.S. Capital Region to the Eternal City. In addition, a display at the gate recognized the 500th anniversary of the death of Leonardo Da Vinci, the namesake of Romeโs airport and the inventor of a flying machine.
Dulles International is Alitaliaโs sixth passenger service gateway in the United States. Service details include:
The new route is operated using an Airbus A330-200, carrying 249 passengers in a three-class configuration, with 19 in Magnifica Business Class, 17 in Premium Economy and 213 in Economy. Passengers across all three classes enjoy a sophisticated dining experience with award-winning menus featuring regional Italian cuisine and premium wines.
Thursdayโs Alitalia launch is the latest new air service route from Dulles International in 2019, which saw passenger activity increase by more than 5 percent in 2018. Washington Dulles is the leading international airport in the National Capital Region, with more than 8 million international passengers in 2018.
Alitalia made this announcement for January 2019 as other airlines (Air France-KLM, Lufthansa, Delta, easyJet etc.) consider taking a share of the struggling flag carrier:
Alitaliaโs passenger revenues increase continues the growth trend reported in the previous months.
The Italian airline reported in January 2019 the fourteenth consecutive month of growth, with a 4 percent increase in passenger revenues, compared to January 2018.
The growth was achieved without aircraft fleet expansion and was in particular driven by the excellent performance in the international and intercontinental sectors.
In January 2019, passenger revenues of long-haul services increased by 6 per cent compared to the previous year and now represent 48 percent of total passenger revenues, a value never achieved in the last 5 years.
Number of passengers carried on long-haul flights also continues the growth trend: in January 2019, Alitalia carried 197,380 travelers on its intercontinental services with a 2.3 percent increase compared to the same month of the previous year.
Top Copyright Photo (all others by the airline):ย Alitalia (3rd) (Societa Aerea Italiana) Airbus A330-202 EI-EJJ (msn 1225) MIA (Bruce Drum). Image: 104900.
The Lufthansa Group submitted an offer letter on October 17, 2017, expressing its interest in establishing a โNewAlitaliaโ. Lufthansa has opted not to make an offer for the complete Airline but has stated interest in only parts of the Global network traffic and European and domestic point-to-point business.
The offer includes a concept for a newly structured Alitalia with a focused business model (โNewAlitaliaโ), which could develop long-term economic prospects.
The responsible commissioners have agreed to maintain confidentiality regarding the details of the offer.
Copyright Photo:ย Alitalia (3rd) (Societa Aerea Italiana) Boeing 777-3Q8 ER EI-WLA (msn 35783) ZRH (Andi Hiltl). Image: 939460.
Alitalia (3rd) (Rome) is upset about the airport’s continued focus of attracting low-cost operators at its Rome Fiumicino (FCO) hub and the current neglect for the infrastructure. The flag carrier is now threatening to move its hub elsewhere. The airline issued this statement about the current situation at FCO:
The damage to Alitalia by the consequences of the fire which broke out on May 7 at Fiumicino Airport amounted to 80 million Euros to date.
The recent reopening of Terminal 3 has marked the end of the emergency phase but not the end of many problems and limitations that continue have heavy effects on airport operations. Alitalia will calculate the total amount of damages only when the airport will operate at pre-fire standards.
Alitalia is the only airline to have its hub in Fiumicino. About 50% of the total number of flights in Fiumicino are Alitalia. Alitalia is by far the airline most affected from the consequences of the fire.
“We had a difficult period due to an event that affected us deeply. – declared Silvano Cassano, Chief Executive Officer of Alitalia -. In this period we have given up any controversy and we focused entirely on the service to customers, to reduce the inconvenience.”
Alitalia has completed an initial balance of the damages for the cancellation of thousands of flights and for a multitude of operational problems that have highlighted the fragility of the airport infrastructure as a whole. Alitalia will seek compensation for the damage it sustained, which so far totals 80 million euro.
“Our relaunch plan is complex, and in one of the most competitive sectors in Italy and in the world – continues Cassano – Fiumicino Airport in its current state is not an appropriate infrastructure to serve as the hub of an airline with our ambitions“.
“The problems of Fiumicino come from years and years of inadequate investment and planning and are now structural, we hope there will be less attention to finance and more attention to the market and to passengers needs”.
“If Fiumicino will continue to focus on low cost carriers and mediocre services, Alitalia will be forced to shift its growth elsewhere”.
Top Copyright Photo: Marco Finelli/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 777-243 ER EI-DBL (msn 32781) arrives at the FCO hub wears special “Franciacorta” markings as a salute to Alitalia’s Expo 2015 partner.
Alitalia (3rd) (Rome) is planning to launch a new route from Rome (Fiumicino) to Mexico City.
The company issued this statement:
The Italy-Mexico Business Council was held in Milan at the Institute for International Policy Studies. Presided by Mexicoโs President Enrique Peรฑa Nieto and the Italian Council President Matteo Renzi, Alitalia signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Mexican Government aimed at opening a new direct flight from Rome to Mexico City. The agreement signed outlines the contributions and commitment of the parties aimed toward increasing tourism and economic growth for both countries.
The opening of this new route is made possible by the investment plan that Alitalia implemented which includes a renewal of the long-haul fleet.
The second new Airbus A330 for long-haul flights is now in service, complete with the new livery, redesigned interior and upgraded meal service in business class, as well as WiFi connectivity in all class cabins. The first newly styled and liveried A330 was unveiled on June 4. The addition of these two aircraft has increased the long haul fleet to 24, inclusive of 14 Airbus A330s and 10 Boeing 777s. The business plan forecasts an additional five new planes for long haul routes by 2018.
With the Mexico City agreement, Alitalia reconfirms its commitment to the development of the intercontinental network. Since the beginning of the year the company has already launched four new intercontinental flights to Seoul (from Rome), Shanghai (from Milan) and Abu Dhabi (from Milan Malpensa and Venice, added to the route from Rome). Flights between Rome and Beijing will begin in Fall 2015.
Alitalia (3rd) (Rome today (June 4) introduced a new livery reflecting the new ownership group.
The airline issued this statement, images and videos:
Alitalia today introduced its new brand, new aircraft livery and new visual identity to its employees, to the worldwide media, and to key business and institutional stakeholders.
The new developments were unveiled at a major launch event at Rome’s Fiumicino Airport, for more than 1,500 Alitalia staff, who were joined by a special guest of honor, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi.
The airline also announced product upgrades across all classes of service on its international wide-body fleet with the aim of repositioning itself on the world stage as a leader in superior service and a powerful ambassador for Italy.
The new developments mark a major milestone for Italyโs national airline, as it revitalises its business across all areas of its global operations.
โThe new livery (above) presented today marks a major milestone in the history of one of the most iconic Italian brands in the world,โ said Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, Chairman of Alitalia.
โWe have also unveiled the results of the outstanding work to create more comfortable interiors and to introduce a strong, innovative service culture.
โAlitaliaโs livery is universally associated with Italy and viewed as iconic and highlyrecognised.
However, it was clear that it needed to evolve to bring Alitalia into the 21st century in a way that could meet our ambitious objectives and the most demanding market expectations.
โWhat you see here today is classic Italian style projected into the future with a modern, fresh feel. It is about reconnecting Alitalia with Italy, and promoting Italy in the world. Our entire company is dedicated to working together to make this happen.โ
After 46 years, the green band will disappear from the fuselage for the first time. At the core of the new livery is a larger tricolour โAโ tailfin, which serves as a powerful representation of the Italian flag across the world. A more modern typeface and non-Italic style conveys the confidence and assertiveness of the new Alitalia.
A warm ivory fuselage adds an element of Italian style and elegance to the scheme, and a sense of speed is created by a refined series of bands progressively leading towards the rear of the aircraft.
The vibrant and contemporary new branding will also feature in the cabin dรฉcor of Alitaliaโs modern fleet of Airbus, Boeing and Embraer aircraft, allowing for fresher, more stylish, and uniquely Italian interiors which now feature the type of fine detailing and design associated with luxury sports cars.
Leading Italian brands will be largely represented on board, starting from the new Poltrona Frau leather design on Business Class seats, Frette bedding, Richard Ginori tableware and Ferragamo amenity kits.
The new inflight experience places considerable emphasis on greater customer choice, innovation, quality, and importantly, more personal control over how guests relax, dine and are entertained on board.
Starting from today, Wi-fi connectivity will progressively be made available on all long-haul aircraft, together with revamped movie galleries and inflight entertainment.
Silvano Cassano, Alitalia Chief Executive Officer, said: โJust as our new livery simplifies, clarifies and improves our Alitalia logo, so our new service concept simplifies, clarifies and improves our customer offer. It is about putting our guests right at the heart of what we do.
โWe have developed this new concept in a way which delivers and showcases the best of Italian style and hospitality, while also taking inspiration from the centres of excellence around the Etihad Partners network.
โThe result is a service concept which incorporates global best practice but which does so with a uniquely โAlitalianโ flavor.โ
According to Mr Cassano, the key driver of success for the new Alitalia would be the companyโs loyal and experienced employees.
โThe business is now entering a new era. Our current investment in training is unprecedented in the history of Alitalia, involving thousands of Alitalia people, to ensure they have the tools to deliver the highest standards in the industry.โ
James Hogan, Vice Chairman of Alitalia and President and Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Airways, said: โThe old Alitalia was a great brand but a challenged business. Now we are well on the way to seeing the rebirth of this iconic airline, in a new era of commercial success.
โThe steps taken by Alitaliaโs senior management team over the last five months are to be applauded. What we see here today is a business growing in confidence. The future is bright for the new Alitalia.โ
The new livery Airbus A330 showcased today has been named Artemisia Gentileschi after a 17th century Italian artist. She is regarded as one of the most progressive and talented artists of her generation, and the embodiment of courage and human dignity.
The A330-200 aircraft will operate its first flight from Rome to Abu Dhabi on June 5 and return back to Milan.
The announcement follows a highly successful first five months of partnership with minority shareholder Etihad Airways, which has already seen over 70,000 guests shared between the airlines on their growing codeshare operations. In addition to the revenue boost from new direct and codeshare routes, Alitalia will also benefit from widespread non-revenue synergies which will be worth more than US$ 15 million in 2015. These synergies will be complemented by investment in shared technology solutions and ongoing sharing of โbest practiceโ between both airlines.
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