ITA Airways (AZ, Rome Fiumicino) will add 39 new Airbus aircraft to its fleet next year - nine widebodies and 30 narrowbodies - having “signed all of its planned commitments” for the fleet increase, it has announced. Some older jets will be phased out as the new ones arrive.
Overall, compared to 2022, the development of the fleet will represent a 73% capacity increase in Available Seat Kilometres (ASK) on the ITA Airways network. This growth is mainly driven by capacity on long-haul routes, which will grow by 107%, the Alitalia successor said in a statement issued on November 11.
New intercontinental destinations are expected to open in 2023, it added, with direct flights from Rome Fiumicino to San Francisco and Washington Dulles in the United States starting from the summer season, and to Rio de Janeiro International from November, besides other long-haul connections launched in 2022.
According to the ch-aviation fleets module, it has seventeen A330-900Ns on order in total, to add to its existing widebody fleet of six comparatively new A350-900s (with a further four A350s on order) and eight older A330-200s (aged 12.6 years on average).
With the introduction of the A321-200NX(LR) next year - it has nine on order - ITA also plans to open several new destinations in the Middle East, including Jeddah International, Riyadh, and Kuwait.
ITA Airways currently operates a fleet of 68 aircraft, and besides the widebodies these include four A220-300s (and another twelve on order), eighteen A319-100s (with one more to be delivered), and thirty-two A320-200s. The A319s are aged 16.3 years on average, the A320s 15.2 years. All of the aircraft in the fleet are leased except for one A319 and two A320s. By the end of 2023, ITA will have 96 aircraft, half of which will be new.
The still-state-owned flag carrier has yet to turn a profit, but it said it remained committed to achieving two fundamental objectives - satisfying “all customers’ needs” and a “growing increase in profitability.” It added: “The expansion of the fleet represents a further step forward in ITA Airways’ growth strategy which will lead the company to be the greenest airline in Europe in 2026 with 80% of the fleet made up of new generation aircraft.”
