Italy’s new national airline, Italia Trasporto Aereo (ITA), will take over on Friday, replacing the financially distressed airline Alitalia.
The opening flight departed from Milan Linate Airport at 6.13 am (7.13 pm Latvian time).
ITA has started operations with 52 aircraft and 2,950 employees, which is significantly less than Alitalia’s approximately 10,000 employees.
However, many experts are concerned that ITA will face the same problems as Alitalia and will immediately face the fierce competition from low-cost airlines that currently dominate the Italian and European markets.
As reported, the Italian government reached an agreement with the European Commission (EC) on the establishment of the ITA in July.
Previously, the new airline was scheduled to start operations in August, at the height of the tourist season, but months of negotiations with the EC continued even after the initial agreement in May.
Alitalia has been operating at a loss for years, given the fierce competition from low-cost airlines and rising fuel prices.
For several years, the Italian government tried unsuccessfully to find a buyer for Alitalia.
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