Expansion of long-haul network with Mauritius; 12.6 million passengers carried in the first nine months of the year

Today at the TTG Travel Experience - International Tourism Fair in Rimini, ITA Airways executives, Chairman Sandro Pappalardo and CEO and General Manager Joerg Eberhart, presented to the press and industry stakeholders the news for the Winter 2025/2026 season and the results achieved in the first nine months of the year. 

In the Winter 2025/2026 season, ITA Airways will fly to 53 destinations, including 16 domestic, 21 international, and 16 intercontinental routes. 

A highlight is the launch of the new direct Rome-Fiumicino/Mauritius flight on November 7, 2025. The flight will be operated with its A-330neo airplane with two weekly frequencies, departing from the Company’s Rome Fiumicino hub on Fridays and Sundays. These will be overnight flights, providing great convenience both outbound and inbound. 

The direct flight between Rome-Fiumicino and Malé (Maldives) will resume on December 19, 2025, operating daily until January 6. Following that period, the service will shift to three frequencies per week, except in February, when it will increase to four weekly frequencies. Additionally, the route will also operate during the Easter holidays next year. 

Flights to Bangkok will be increased from five to seven weekly frequencies starting December 8, and flights to Buenos Aires will grow from nine to ten weekly frequencies from December 16 to January 9. 

In the first nine months of 2025, ITA Airways carried 12.6 million passengers, including 2 million on longhaul flights, with an average load factor of 83.4% (+2.5 percentage points compared to last year). Passenger revenues amounted to €2.17 billion (+4% compared to 2024).

“I am proud to participate for the first time at TTG Travel Experience as Chairman of ITA Airways", said Sandro Pappalardo, President of ITA Airways. “Our Company is an integral part of Italian tourism and Made in Italy — values we promote worldwide with excellence, innovation, and a strong customer focus. This event represents a valuable opportunity for us to strengthen strategic partnerships and foster new synergies to support both the national and international tourism sector". 

“These first nine months leading ITA Airways have been an exciting challenge that we face with determination and strong team spirit", stated Joerg Eberhart, CEO and General Manager of ITA Airways. “The results achieved so far are encouraging, and the fact that 12.6 million passengers have chosen ITA Airways for their travels confirms the trust of our customers and the strength of our strategy. I am particularly pleased to share these results here at TTG with our trade partners, whose continued confidence has been invaluable. Looking ahead, we remain focused on further improvements to deliver excellent service to our passengers. This is essential for reaching breakeven by the end of 2025 and embarking on a new phase of growth and investment from 2026 onward, further reinforcing ITA Airways’ position in the global market, supported by growing synergies with the Lufthansa Group".

ITA Airways continues its integration journey with the Lufthansa Group. During the first nine months of the year, several synergies have been implemented. Last Summer marked the launch of codeshare agreements with five Group airlines: Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, and Air Dolomiti, offering passengers over 150 new connections and improved connectivity to both European and non-European destinations. 

Additionally, since February, a partnership between Volare, ITA Airways’ loyalty program, and Lufthansa Group’s Miles & More has been active. This collaboration allows Volare members to earn and redeem points on flights operated by Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, and Brussels Airlines, while Miles & More members can earn and redeem points on ITA Airways flights. 

Furthermore, ITA Airways passengers have access to over 130 lounges worldwide, and passengers of Lufthansa Group carriers can use ITA Airways lounges in accordance with the airlines’ access policies. 

Ground and flight operations are now under the same roof at Lufthansa Group terminals in Frankfurt, Munich, and Hamburg airports. Flight schedules and frequencies between Lufthansa Group and ITA Airways hubs (Rome-Fiumicino and Milan-Linate) have been optimized to offer passengers a wider range of options and shorter connection times.