On Sunday, April 7, ITA Airways inaugurated a direct flight service connecting Chicago O’Hare with Rome Fiumicino, marking a significant expansion of its network.
The inaugural flight, which departed at 3:00 p.m. (local time) from Chicago was operated with the new Airbus A330neo, the cutting edge of ITA Airways’ fleet and the ultimate reference in technology, digitalization, innovation, efficiency and “Made in Italy” design.
The launch of this new nonstop route was celebrated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Chicago O’Hare International Airport, attended by Emiliana Limosani, ITA Airways Chief Commercial Officer and CEO Volare, Thomas Botzios, Consul General of Italy in Chicago, and Amber Ritter, Managing Deputy Commissioner and Chief Commercial Officer for the Chicago Department of Aviation.
In the current Summer 2024, the new direct Chicago – Rome connection will initially provide 6 weekly frequencies, increasing to 7 from June.
Moreover, with the new intercontinental destinations opening this summer, and including in addition to Chicago also the Toronto – Rome nonstop flight launching on May 10th, the Company will offer 140 weekly flights between North America and Italy in the peak of the season.
The opening of the new connection, the seventh to North America, represents a crucial product for ITA Airways. The United States is indeed ITA Airways’ first strategic market after Italy and the new route will allow the airline to add a further strategic access not only for point-to-point traffic, but also for onward connections to other destinations within the Country, combining leisure and business traffic flows.
Emiliana Limosani, Chief Commercial Officer at ITA Airways and CEO of Volare, highlighted the importance of the Chicago-Rome connection in expanding the airline’s intercontinental network. This service is seen as a bridge connecting the American Midwest with Italy, offering unparalleled access for both the Italian and American communities in the region.
The new Chicago route is also a further step in ITA Airways’ intercontinental network expansion strategy for the current summer season, including 57 destinations, with 16 domestic, 26 international and 15 intercontinental. North America, Africa and the Middle East are the markets where the airline will launch nonstop flights from its Rome Fiumicino hub.
In May, direct connections to Toronto and Riyadh will be launched. In June it will be the turn of nonstop flights to Accra and Kuwait City, in July to Dakar and in August to Jeddah.
Furthermore, in the peak of the summer season, ITA Airways will add 11 seasonal connections, selected from the most popular Mediterranean tourist destinations, including Greece, Spain, Croatia and the Italian islands with Rhodes, Ibiza, Palma de Mallorca, Menorca, Heraklion, Corfu, Split, Kefalonia, Lampedusa, Sardinia and Pantelleria.
The new intercontinental destinations for Summer 2024 join the direct long-haul flights already operated to New York, Boston, Miami, Los Angeles, Washington, San Francisco, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, Tokyo and New Delhi.
ITA Airways started its operations on 15th October 2021 with a fleet of 52 aircraft.
At the heart of the Company’s strategy is its ambition to be an ambassador of Made in Italy by offering personalized services and ensuring a completely Italian in-flight experience at every stage of the journey.
This goal is achieved thanks to important partnerships with renowned Italian brands, such as Brunello Cucinelli, who designed the uniforms of the crew and ground staff, Walter De Silva, who created the interiors of ITA Airways’ new aircraft, and starred Italian chefs, who are signing the on-board gastronomic offerings.
One of the Company’s strategic pillars is also its commitment to sustainability, achieved through a continuous fleet renewal with technologically advanced and efficient aircraft. ITA Airways’ fleet currently comprises 87 Airbus aircraft, including 44 of the latest generation.
