Joerg Eberhart discusses ITA Airways' future plans, including potential return to Santiago and revival of Alitalia brand
Joerg Eberhart, who took over as CEO of ITA Airways this January following Lufthansa's acquisition of a 41% stake in the company, participated in a presentation on Tuesday alongside Star Alliance executives during the 81st IATA Annual General Meeting in New Delhi, India.
Before the outbreak of the pandemic, in January 2020, Alitalia operated 34 weekly flights to South America, connecting Rome with Buenos Aires (7x), Rio de Janeiro (7x), São Paulo (14x), and Santiago (6x). Since then, ITA Airways has been gradually rebuilding its network in the region, but Chile’s capital remains off the map (the airline also previously flew to Caracas until 2013).
When asked about the possibility of resuming flights to Santiago, Eberhart said, “Of course we are evaluating other countries in the region,” but added that “when it comes to Santiago, it’s quite far and we need to study the market’s yields, because even if the plane is full, we require certain yields to operate there.”
“That’s what we are currently analyzing, but it could be an option in the coming years,” added the ITA Airways CEO.
Regarding his priorities in these early months at the helm, Eberhart stated, “We need to maintain stable operations, which is challenging during the summer. Airports will be congested, the skies will be congested, and ground handling can always cause issues, so I’ll be very focused on operations.” Nevertheless, he expressed confidence that they would achieve their goal of operational stability.
Eberhart also highlighted that in 2024 the airline posted an operating result of 3 million euros, and this year they hope to reach a sustainable break-even point that isn’t dependent on external factors like fuel price fluctuations.
Is Alitalia coming back?
Earlier this year, ITA Airways began using the slogan “Inspired by Alitalia,” visible on select signage and aircraft. When Lufthansa began taking control, it even hinted at a possible “relaunch” of the iconic brand.
Now, when asked if they plan to further expand Alitalia’s presence, Eberhart said, “We see potential in Alitalia, especially in an international context where it is much more recognized than ITA, which only began four years ago.”
“Of course, we are investing in ITA, but in the future, we’ll reinvest in the Alitalia brand,” Eberhart continued, although he acknowledged there are no concrete plans yet on how to manage both brands, as this would require significant investment—a challenge for an airline with only 100 aircraft.
“We don’t have 800 planes, so a multi-brand strategy could be difficult, but we are currently exploring ways to possibly merge the two brands,” he said.
“I’m not sure when it will happen, but the intention is there.”
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