ITA Airways to return to Caracas with three weekly flights, ilmessaggero.it reports
Over ten years after old Alitalia pulled out due to blocked funds, Ita Airways is returning to Caracas with three flights a week starting March 30, 2027, ilmessaggero.it reported.
The Airbus A330-900 Schedule Out of Fiumicino
The first flight will depart from Fiumicino using new-generation Airbus A330-900 aircraft. Flights are scheduled for Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. Joerg Eberhart, the airline’s chief executive, and María Elena Uzzo Giannattasio, the Venezuelan ambassador to Italy, signed the formal agreement. Eberhart stated that the connection goes beyond commercial dimensions to bring people, families, and businesses closer together.
That service makes Venezuela the fourth Latin American country with direct connections to Rome. Existing routes include daily flights to Rio de Janeiro, services to São Paulo, and up to nine weekly frequencies to Buenos Aires. Meanwhile, a seasonal winter flight to Santo Domingo launches on November 30, accompanied by a weekly charter to Fort-de-France in Martinica.
North American Hub Expansion Versus South American Growth
North America remains the carrier’s primary focus, spanning nine destinations including New York, Boston, Miami, Washington, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Toronto, and Houston. Miami frequencies have climbed to nine weekly flights. Plans are accelerating for a Rome-Lima route, intended partly to head off Emirates after that airline asked Enac to fly from Malpensa to the Peruvian capital. Santiago del Chile is also under evaluation.
In the United States, the next target is Newark, serving as an expansion of the partnership with United, Lufthansa, and Air Canada. The 2026-2030 industrial plan deploys over one billion euros in investments. It adds one long-range aircraft every year, targeting a fleet of roughly one hundred modern jets by 2030. Twin-aisle intercontinental aircraft will increase from 23 to 30. Lufthansa is scheduled to reach a 90 percent stake in the first quarter of 2027 through a 325 million euro injection, leaving the Italian Treasury with 10 percent.
Hiring Four Hundred Sixty-Six Staff and Launching Pilot Training
Expanding the network requires operational personnel. The carrier planned 466 new hires in 2026, divided between roughly one hundred pilots and nearly four hundred flight attendants. For the first time since its birth, the company launched Multi Pilot Licence courses designed to train approximately 280 new pilots over a four-year period. The 21-month training program is open to applicants aged 17 and older with a high school diploma and strong Italian and English language skills.
Classes take place at the Flight Training Center adjacent to the Fiumicino headquarters, utilizing Airbus A320 and A330 simulators. Graduates enter the cockpit directly as copilots, with the initial training sessions opening this month. Beyond the Americas, planners are studying routes to Mumbai, Singapore, Osaka, and destinations in Africa.