ITA Airways charts fresh course with new cabins, menu and more
The SkyTeam member is giving travellers a taste of ‘la dolce vita’ with its latest cabin experience.
By Chris Ashton, June 10 2022
Italian carrier ITA Airways is charging ahead with an ambitious top-to-bottom renewal, officially unveiling the interiors of its new Airbus A350, together with a unique livery, fashion-forward uniforms, and a revised culinary focus designed to ‘share the love’.
Born from the ashes of Alitalia, which collapsed under crippling debt in 2021, the state-owned ITA Airways is something of a reboot – a fresh start with an updated fleet and focus.
ITA Airways, with its distinct 'Savoy blue' livery.
The first of four A350s, named after Italian racing legend Valentino Rossi, was delivered on May 12 and is already jetting off five-times weekly between the Eternal City of Rome and tango-infused Buenos Aires, with the service increasing to daily from August.
Originally intended for Chinese carrier Hainan Airlines, which was unable to take delivery due to financial woes, the first aircraft sports a distinct ‘Savoy blue’ livery, with a two cabin layout with 33 seats in business class and 301 in economy class. There is no premium economy.
Italian designer Walter De Silva was charged with creating the airline's new interior.
In business, the seat is based on the Collins ‘Super Diamond’, which travellers will likely recognise from Air Canada’s Boeing 787 Signature Class, Fiji Airways’ A350 business class, and Virgin Australia’s now-defunct ‘The Business’ cabin.
It’s a go-to for many airlines, with its 1-2-1 configuration delivering aisle access for every passenger, plus ample storage and a lie-flat bed for passengers to stretch out on those longer flights.
The cabin features 33 seats in a 1-2-1 configuration.
An attractive blue and cream colour scheme flows from nose to tail – a more contemporary look than featured on its current fleet. It’s very safe though, with only a subtle Italian flag on the headrests and sash belts adding some much-needed flair.
However, just when it looked as if the brand was moving in a more consistent direction, the fourth and final A350 – delivered on June 8 – sports an entirely different design.
The new 'sustainability' livery is a reminder of the A350's green credentials.
Rather than the brand’s distinctive Savoy blue livery, the latest aircraft is instead crisp white and emblazoned with the taglines ‘Born to Be Sustainable’ and ‘-25% Fuel & CO2’ as not-so-subtle reminders of its lower fuel consumption and emissions.
Rounding out other recent developments are a new blue and white ‘Made in Italy’ uniform, due to enter service across the next few months, and a revised culinary approach that will see internationally renowned Italian chefs and younger up-and-coming talent periodically “take turns” developing the menu.
ITA's new menu is available now on all intercontinental European flights.
ITA’s 2022 summer season has introduced 63 new destinations, of which 22 are domestic, 34 international and seven intercontinental. A member of the SkyTeam alliance, business class and elite status holders can enjoy access to 750 branded and partner airline lounges worldwide.
While currently state-owned, the Italian government is pushing ahead with plans to sell the airline by the end of June, with a joint bid between Lufthansa and shipping giant MSC expected to be successful.
QF
11 Jul 2014
Total posts 1024
Wonder if they will make the return to Sydney, Alitalia along time ago had Sydney on its routes.
21 Jul 2011
Total posts 89
Not while 🐪🐪🐪 and SQ rule the airways
QF
11 Jul 2014
Total posts 1024
I’d prefer 🐫🐪🐫 and 🦁🦁🦁 any day
24 Aug 2011
Total posts 1224
It is just not economic for a European airline to operate to Australia competing against Asian and ME carriers who have massive hubs in between. That s why BA is now the only European airline flying to Australia and, even then, it is only a single route. The days when VS, LH, AZ, OA, NG and KL all flew to Australia are never coming back.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
24 Jan 2018
Total posts 775
If Qantas can fly AUS-LHR non-stop and make money from it, surely VS could do the same in their 787s? What am I not understanding?
09 May 2022
Total posts 4
You’re not understanding that ITA can’t and won’t do the route.
QF
11 Jul 2014
Total posts 1024
@Johnny22 Why can't they do this route, I've flown Swiss Air , Singapore, Bangkok, Zurich. They could do Rome, Singapore to Australia.
Aegean Airlines - Miles & Bonus
16 Jul 2019
Total posts 31
Qantas can fly to LHR because it has a huge customer base (corporate and leisure) and brand recognition in Australia who will choose them. Most of those First, Business and P Econ seats are filled with highly lucrative corporate customers flying on corporate fares. Alternatively, the leisure customers are mostly Aussie corporates going on holiday.
For European airlines none of this really exists in Oz. No loyalty base, no corporate accounts, limited brand recognition. So to attract they need to go low on price and that kills margin and makes the route less viable. Plus there are superb quality options via Asia and the ME that offer significant competition.
Virgin Atlantic tried for many years but couldn't make much profit because they were being undercut on price and didn't have the big corporate accounts in Oz. Plus fees for flying to Oz are high. These include airport charges, hotel accommodation and time lost for crew needing a 48 hour layover (versus 24 hours for most other places). BA - which is a much larger airline than Virgin Atlantic - can barely turn a profit to Oz but makes it work because of the Singapore stopover with Singapore being a hugely lucrative banking / trade market for BA. Virgin did the same via Hong Kong.
But for most of these European airlines, why turn a minor profit flying to Australia (a small market of 24million) when you can fly the same plane to the US, Asia, Africa and Latin America where the market is literally a thousand times bigger?
13 May 2015
Total posts 22
I think it’s that they can make more money with better utilization of the aircraft on other (shorter) routes. Europe to East Coast Oz is around 24 hours one way. Europe to East Coast US is around 7/8. They can fly the US route 3 times compared to a single Aus flight.
30 Aug 2019
Total posts 2
As a state owned airline they need to change the culture to have any chance.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
29 Mar 2015
Total posts 94
Wile no guarantee of good or ill, I'd suggest that every US airline would prove private ownership is no panacea. I wish ITA all the best regardless of ownership structure.
Thai Airways International - Royal Orchid Plus
15 Jan 2013
Total posts 461
basically the Asian carriers have taken over the Australia to Italy market since Alitalia left Australia and in more recent times Qatar and Emirates.these guys would have to offer something competitive one stop obviously to win over the market who have since moved to QR,EK AND SQ.
QF
11 Jul 2014
Total posts 1024
If I told the local Italian, Maltese, Sicilian communities there was an Italian Airline flying in to Australia they would use the service even if it was a Fokker50 prop plane.
03 May 2013
Total posts 684
Last time I checked Sicilians were Italian? (Some northern Italians may disagree ;))
United Airlines - Mileage Plus
12 Sep 2011
Total posts 335
Yes sure are Italian and yes northern Italians may disagree, but then again many Calabrians, Neaoplitans and Sicilians don't consider themselves Italian, more of original settlement by Greeks ie Magna Grecia. The whole North-South thing is common also in Greece
06 Feb 2021
Total posts 59
If they did want to return to Australia, (highly unlikely I suspect,) an order for some A350-1000 (Sunrise Version) would seem to be the optimal aircraft choice.
Should these aircraft now be known as 350-1000XLR's ?
BA Gold
01 Apr 2012
Total posts 197
Even if ITA could fill a plane between Australia and Italy if it isn't profitably or with a sufficient yield, what is the point?
Any airline can fill a plane. The trick is, getting people to pay a fare that is likely higher than the Gulf carriers to fly them. Some leisure travellers will. Most won't.
What would you do if you were an airline CEO? Stick your valuable assets, your aircraft on say Milan - East Coast USA where competition is lighter and you can easily get in two sectors a day, two full revenue earning opportunities? Or send the same revenue bringing resource onto one 22hr flight into a super competitive arena? The answer is pretty obvious. And resources (aircraft) are not unlimited. Airlines don't buy aircraft and then think 'ok where can we fly them'. They buy their aircraft to fit into their route network plans and where they won't be paying for resources they won't use. And the resources they have, they'll put them where they will bring the greatest returns.
Flying to Australia (or the East - period) from Europe is difficult due to the HUGE range of connection possibilities that are available via the Gulf carriers. For example - say you live in Newcastle (UK) and want to fly to Phuket. You can of course pay silly money to fly Newcastle - Heathrow - Bangkok on BA then transfer on a domestic flight to Phuket. Or, you can fly (at a competitive price) direct from Newcastle to Dubai then from there direct to Phuket. It is a no brainer.
With flights to Australia it's even tougher. For a few hundred dollars more in airfare you have to factor in increased aircraft utilisation (you'll need an additional aircraft to sustain the Asia - Australia - Asia segment on a daily basis) and increased crew costs (crew will be away for at least 8 or 9 days). Add onto that the fact most airlines that fly to SYD just leave their aircraft on the ground bringing in no revenue for most of the day due to curfews, and the economics of operating the route from europe just do not stack up for most.
29 Jan 2020
Total posts 37
The good old days indeed, also AF, AOM…..even MEA and Egyptair.
Now that aircraft exist that can do it non stop, eliminating the expensive double crew layover in SeAsia, maybe LH AF ot ITA may look at it.
Even if it was seasonal, like the proposed Qantas, Perth Rome flights.
Etihad
07 Jan 2016
Total posts 17
agreed with @boeing727 it would be great if they could have a Rome- Perth or Milan Malpensa- Perth
QF
11 Jul 2014
Total posts 1024
@Flying-Doctor Didn't you get the memo WA is on the banned list after McGown locked up so many doctor's wives during Covid. The best one was the SOS sent out by Port Hedland Hospital over Xmas for an emergency doctor when the doctor's wife turned up the Police put her in a Covid Hotel, gave her a fine and sent her back to QLD the next day. The doctor who went out of his way as a favour to the hospital then spent Xmas away from his family, all WA Health could do is send out apology letters.
United Airlines - Mileage Plus
12 Sep 2011
Total posts 335
On a side note got my ITA Volare Welcome Pack yesterday, registered post, of black Volare Executive Card (Skyteam Elite Plus) and a black Leather Luggage tag (as Compared to Lufthansa Senator Red Leather Luggage tags x2) yesterday. Shame COVID is still burning and BA4 and BA5 continue unrelented. Shame I won't use it to its advantage before 01/2023 expiration. Not a worse time to fly, when the blinkered yet unmasked masses cry COVID is over. Maybe can use it for another Status Match....
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer P1
23 Aug 2014
Total posts 148
If only there was any evidence that new uniforms, menus and paintwork correlated with anything of substance and consistency in the airline industry long term
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