ITA Airways outlines 2026–2030 strategy with long-haul growth at its core

ITA Airways’ 2026–2030 business plan includes new routes to the U.S., Asia, and Africa, leveraging its Lufthansa Group and Star Alliance partners. In South America, the focus is on increasing flights to Buenos Aires, while Chile remains an economically challenging destination.

06 de junio de 2025 - 20:19

ITA Airways outlines 2026–2030 strategy with long-haul growth at its core — PH: Edgardo Gimenez Mazó

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Now under the Lufthansa Group, ITA Airways is developing a new industrial plan for 2026–2030 with a clear objective: to achieve sustainable profitability through an ambitious expansion of its long-haul network from its Rome Fiumicino hub. According to executives, the strategy is still in its preliminary phase but includes plans to open over a dozen new routes to the Americas, Asia, and Africa.

This growth plan is a key part of ITA’s future within the German airline group, which acquired a 41% stake in January. Achieving profitability is essential to secure greater opportunities for expansion within the group and solidify ITA’s role as a competitive player in the intercontinental market.

During the IATA meetings, ITA CEO Joerg Eberhart told the press that the plan is still in draft form, but confirmed to union representatives that the airline will increasingly focus on long-haul operations, which generate higher revenues compared to the highly competitive domestic and European markets dominated by low-cost carriers and major network airlines.

To support this expansion, the current plan includes the addition of one wide-body aircraft per year, totaling five new aircraft: four Airbus A350s and one A330neo.

Strategic partnerships to drive expansion

Destination selection will be closely tied to strategic partnerships, with many new routes chosen based on the presence of partner carriers at the destination airport, ensuring onward connections and passenger feed.

Americas: In the United States, ITA is expected to launch flights to Newark (EWR) and Houston (IAH) in 2027. Both are major hubs for United Airlines, Lufthansa’s joint venture partner in the transatlantic “A++” alliance, which ITA plans to join the same year. Newark would complement the existing New York JFK service and offer seamless connectivity via United’s network.

In South America, a high-revenue region for ITA, the airline plans to increase frequencies, especially to Buenos Aires (EZE). Industry sources suggest a possible strengthening of ties with Aerolíneas Argentinas, despite ITA’s departure from the SkyTeam alliance. Leonardo Berberi of Corriere della Sera reported that Eberhart held extended discussions with Aerolíneas executives during the IATA meetings.

When asked about relaunching the Santiago de Chile (SCL) route, once operated by Alitalia, Eberhart was cautious. “It could be an option for the coming years,” he said. “But Santiago is quite far from Rome, and we have to assess yields—just because a plane is full doesn't mean the route is profitable.” In 2019, the route carried nearly 120,000 passengers but posted a €16 million loss for Alitalia.

What you need to know about ITA’s new plan:

Main goal: Achieve sustainable profitability from 2026 to 2030 by focusing on more lucrative long-haul routes.
New U.S. routes: Planned service to Newark (EWR) and Houston (IAH) from 2027 to align with United Airlines hubs.
Lufthansa integration impact: Integration with Lufthansa Group and future entry into Star Alliance are central. New routes will target airports with partner carriers such as United, Air India, Singapore Airlines, and ANA.
South America outlook: Increased frequencies to Buenos Aires; cautious analysis of the Santiago route due to past losses.

Asia and the Russian airspace factor

Asia is another pillar of ITA’s long-haul strategy. In 2026, with the arrival of a new Airbus A330neo, the airline may launch a Rome–Mumbai (BOM) route, complementing its current New Delhi service and benefiting from its partnership with Air India.

Singapore (SIN) is almost certain to be added, supported by Lufthansa’s joint venture with Singapore Airlines. In Japan, where ITA already flies to Tokyo Haneda, it aims to launch service to Osaka (KIX), a hub for All Nippon Airways (ANA), another Lufthansa partner.

A major constraint to further expansion in Asia is the continued closure of Russian airspace to European carriers, which increases operating costs and flight times, making many routes financially unviable.

New prospects in Africa and the Mediterranean

For growth in Africa, ITA plans to deploy the Airbus A321neo—a narrow-body aircraft suitable for medium-haul routes. Leading candidates include Abidjan (Ivory Coast) and Lagos (Nigeria).

The network review also includes underperforming routes. Flights to Dakar (Senegal) and Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) have yielded disappointing results, while Riyadh has shown more promising performance.

If the geopolitical environment stabilizes, ITA may also revive profitable historic routes once operated by Alitalia, such as Tehran, Beirut, and Amman. For the leisure market, winter seasonal services to Zanzibar, Santo Domingo, and Havana are being considered, strongly backed by vacation package sales.

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