ITA Airways in 2026: The New Fleet, the Move to Lufthansa and What Passengers Really Say

History and positioning

ITA Airways took to the skies on the very day Alitalia ceased operations, with a starting perimeter far smaller than the carrier it replaced. Lufthansa's entry, negotiated for almost two years and approved by the European Commission in 2023, only materialized in January 2025: from that moment ITA became part of a group that also controls Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian and Eurowings. The airline itself described 2025 as a turning point, with stable revenue of around 3.2 billion euros but passenger numbers down 8% at 16.2 million, on a flight network cut by 11%: the company is therefore growing in revenue per passenger rather than in volume.

The fleet

At the end of 2025 ITA operates about 106 aircraft, of which 24 are widebodies and 82 narrowbodies, with more than 70% of recent generation. On short and medium-haul routes it flies the Airbus A220, A319, A320 and A321neo; on long-haul the fleet is split between the Airbus A330 and the newer A350-900. The announced strategy is to concentrate all long-haul flying on the A350, gradually phasing out the A330neos despite their relatively young age: a choice driven by fleet commonality rather than immediate savings.

Routes and network

Intercontinental services from Rome Fiumicino go to New York JFK (up to three daily frequencies in summer 2026), Boston, Washington, Chicago, Miami, Toronto, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Bangkok, Tokyo Haneda and Buenos Aires. The 2026-2030 business plan calls for adding Abidjan, Lagos, Mumbai, Osaka and Singapore, with one new widebody joining the fleet each year. On the alliance front, ITA left SkyTeam in 2025 to move into the orbit of Star Alliance, in line with Lufthansa's membership: the full transition of codeshare routes and the loyalty program is still being completed.

Fares and baggage

In Economy, the basic Light fare includes no checked baggage: it must be bought separately, from 70 to 160 dollars each way according to the published fares. The higher Economy fares include one 23 kg suitcase, Premium Economy two 23 kg bags, and Business two 32 kg bags. Carry-on follows the same pattern: one bag plus a personal item in Economy, and two bags of 8 kg each in Premium Economy and Business.

On board and loyalty program

The cabins available are Economy, Premium Economy and Business on long-haul flights. The historic loyalty program, Volare, is being replaced by Lufthansa's Miles & More, in keeping with the move into Star Alliance: passengers who collect miles should check the terms of the switch between the two schemes carefully over the coming months.

What passengers say

On the subject of official recognition, the 4-star Skytrax rating was confirmed again for 2026, at the same level as the other airlines in the Lufthansa group. Direct passenger reviews, however, tell a different story: on Trustpilot the average score is 1.5 out of 5 across more than 3,200 reviews.

• What people like: cabin comfort on the newer aircraft, the breadth of the network after joining Star Alliance, and the quality of onboard service when the flight goes smoothly.
• Most frequently cited problems: customer service that is hard to reach by phone, with reports of calls cut off after more than 30 minutes on hold; slow handling of refunds; and lost or delayed baggage in periods of heavier traffic.

ITA Airways suits those looking for an expanding intercontinental network and a modern cabin, and who are willing to handle any problems on their own. Business travelers with tight connections, or anyone who needs quick assistance in case of a cancellation, should consider alternatives with a more responsive customer service. Always keep your ticket, receipts and every written communication with the airline: with customer service response times that are not among the fastest in the industry, having everything documented speeds up any refund request or complaint.