The first Airbus A320neo to be operated by ITA Airways (AZ, Rome Fiumicino) conducted its first commercial flights on February 20, the Italian flag carrier has announced.

A320-200N EI-INB (msn 11261) is the first of several of the type expected to be delivered soon and the first of 26 it has on order, according to the ch-aviation fleets module. Formerly OE-IDK, it was ferried to Rome from Shannon on January 17 ahead of operating Flight AZ1781 on February 20, which departed Fiumicino at 1320L (1220Z) to reach Palermo International just over an hour later.

Since then, the twinjet has operated flights from Rome to Bari and Catania as well as Palermo, ch-aviation analysis of Flightradar24 ADS-B data shows.

It will perform short- and medium-haul flights into the Summer 2023 season, to these airports and others such as Brindisi, Bologna, Genoa, Milan Linate, Naples Capodichino, Lamezia Terme, Turin Caselle, Venice Treviso, Brussels National, Madrid Barajas, and Paris CDG, the airline said.

ITA Airways currently operates a fleet of 73 aircraft and has a total of 74 on order, which it will introduce over the coming years while retiring older aircraft.