Alitalia, Italy’s national carrier, has declared that it would no longer sell new tickets for flights departing after October 14, 2021. After nearly three-quarters of a century of operation, the country’s largest airline will permanently close its cabin doors.
If you have ever travelled with Alitalia, the company’s demise may not come as a surprise. While it was never on the bucket list of must-fly airlines (despite carrying such valuable Italian cargo as the Pope himself), its routes were extensive, and it was even crowned the most punctual airline in 2019. (It even assisted with the recent distribution of Covid Immunizations.)
However, in 2020, just as the Covid epidemic approached Italy, the airline was acquired by the Italian Government, and now, on October 14, it will take off and land for the final time.
As Alitalia departs, a new national airline will take its place they’ve already begun selling tickets. Flights on ITA will commence on Oct 15, 2021, to leave a short runaway for any routing gaps ITA which stands for Italia Trasporto Aereo, will begin operations with fewer aircraft than its predecessor (52 compared to 113 at the peak of Alitalia) and just 2,750 employees, a significant decrease from Alitalia’s 12,000.
Passengers holding confirmed Alitalia tickets for flights departing after October 14 should anticipate an email or other direct communication from the airline. Depending on the traveller’s original trip and timetable, Alitalia will provide rebooking on flights departing before the airline’s closure or a complete refund.
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