Here's What It's Like to Fly ITA Airways — Italy's Newest Airline
ITA Airways, the new Italian flag carrier, replaced bankrupt Alitalia on Oct. 15, 2021, with 52 planes and 2,800
employees, compared to 110 and 10,500. Despite fleet reduction, many believed nothing would change.
That's what Venice airport officials told me when I checked in for my flight to Rome on Oct. 16, just 24 hours into the airline's existence.
Behind the old Alitalia check-in desk, the new ITA logo—three letters striped green, white, and red for the Italian tricolore
brightened. As with the day before, Alitalia signs marked the check-in lines, hand luggage measurers, and uniformed workers.
"I booked this to see what's changed," I told the check-in agent. She grinned. "Nothing's changed," she said.
The new airline was expected to keep the Alitalia brand name after ITA bought it for €90 million (approximately $104 million) two days earlier.
Despite a new blue livery, president Alfredo Altavilla said ITA had always been the new airline's name and they bought Alitalia to block others from adopting