Italian Airline ITA Airways Expands with Rome-Dubai Route

ITA Airways is set to launch a new route between Rome Fiumicino airport and Dubai as part of its upcoming winter schedule, marking a significant expansion of its long-haul services. The Rome-Dubai route will commence on 27 October with daily flights using a narrow-body Airbus A321neo aircraft, featuring three cabins: business (12 seats), premium economy (12 seats), and economy (141 seats).

Antonino Turicchi, president of ITA Airways, hailed the addition of Dubai flights as a pivotal moment in the company’s growth. The announcement of the Rome-Dubai route coincides with ITA’s recent launch of flights from Rome to Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, with more routes to the Middle East planned, including flights to Kuwait City in July and Jeddah in August.

ITA has also introduced new transatlantic routes from Rome Fiumicino to Chicago and Toronto, along with plans to enhance its African services by adding routes to Accra in Ghana and Dakar in Senegal. Despite the Italian government’s agreement for Lufthansa Group to acquire ITA, the deal is under EU investigation for potential competition concerns.

ITA reported a significant increase in passenger numbers, carrying five million passengers during the first four months of 2024, marking a 29 per cent rise compared to the same period in 2023. The airline’s long-haul intercontinental services experienced a revenue surge of over 50 per cent year-on-year, contributing to its overall growth and expansion strategy.