ITA Airways is joining the Japan Europe Joint Venture operated by All Nippon Airways (ANA) and the Lufthansa Group, in a move that takes Italy’s flagship carrier another step closer to becoming part of the German group. The expansion takes effect from autumn 2026.
A corresponding agreement was signed at the IATA Annual General Meeting in Rio de Janeiro. The deal brings ITA Airways into the largest joint venture between Japan and Europe, centred on its hub at Rome-Fiumicino Airport.
The tie-up covers the European network of ITA Airways, including Italy domestic and Maghreb routes, as well as its long-haul service between Rome Fiumicino and Tokyo-Haneda. It complements the existing scope of the joint venture in Italy, where ANA already flies from Tokyo-Haneda to Milan-Malpensa.
From Rome, ITA Airways operates a daily nonstop flight to Tokyo-Haneda. Both airports hold the highest possible five-star rating from Skytrax.
Starting this autumn, the intercontinental route can be booked by customers of ANA, Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines and SWISS, and combined flexibly with their own flights. A joint offer will roll out sequentially from autumn 2026 onwards, with customers informed once it becomes available.
Because the joint venture also includes ITA Airways feeder flights to Rome, travellers to and from Japan gain additional connecting options. Flight times to and from Japan via the southern hub in Rome will be shorter for destinations in Southern Europe, the Mediterranean and North Africa.
Beyond Tokyo-Haneda, ANA offers ITA Airways passengers onward connections across its domestic network in Japan. Passengers can use the lounges in Rome and Tokyo, while tickets and the loyalty programmes of both airlines are mutually recognised.
The Japan Europe Joint Venture was founded in 2012 by ANA and Lufthansa, with SWISS and Austrian Airlines joining in later years. Japanese authorities granted the necessary antitrust immunity several weeks ago.
Under the venture, the airlines coordinate flight schedules to spread departure times across the day and offer a comparable range of services on flights between Japan and Europe. With full flexibility to combine long-haul flights and regional feeder services at Tokyo-Haneda and five Lufthansa Group hubs, the venture now offers 160 weekly long-haul flights between Japan and Europe.
“As we approach the 15th anniversary of our joint venture next year, our long-standing partnership with Lufthansa Group has allowed us to offer our passengers a seamless and high-quality travel experience between Japan and Europe. With ITA Airways joining us to open up the gateway to Rome, we look forward to offering travelers exceptional service and even more convenient access to Italy, Southern Europe, the Mediterranean and beyond,” said Juichi Hirasawa, President and CEO of All Nippon Airways.
“We are very proud to join the Europe Japan Joint Venture together with ANA and Lufthansa Group. This agreement represents a key milestone in the international development of ITA Airways and further strengthens the airline’s connectivity to the Asia-Pacific region, an area of major strategic importance. We thank our partners Lufthansa Group and ANA for this important opportunity, which will allow us to offer our customers more travel options, more efficient connections, and an increasingly integrated travel experience,” said Joerg Eberhart, Chief Executive Officer and General Manager of ITA Airways.
