New York Becomes ITA Airways’ First Long-haul Destination From Milan

Italian start-up airline ITA has officially begun flying long-haul routes from its base in Milan-Malpensa (MXP). On April 2, 2022, the airline’s first nonstop long-haul flight from the northern Italian city landed at New York’s Kennedy Airport (JFK).

The airline — while still getting its footing — has taken over the mantle of serving as Italy’s flag carrier from now-defunct Alitalia.

This route between Milan and New York joins a steadily growing network of service between Italy and the United States including connections between Rome-Fiumicino (FCO) and Boston (BOS), Miami (MIA), and New York (JFK).

Let’s dive into the details of ITA’s new service from Milan!

ITA Launches Nonstop Service Between Milan and New York

ITA has waded into an already competitive market as the fifth airline to offer nonstop service between New York and Milan — American Airlines, Delta, Emirates, and Italian low-cost carrier Neos currently operate nonstop flights between the two cities.

Flights will operate on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays according to the following schedule:

• Depart New York (JFK) 8:55 p.m. — Arrive Milan (MXP) 11:05 a.m. (+1)
• Depart Milan (MXP) 1:40 p.m. — Arrive New York (JFK) 5 p.m.

The airline’s intercontinental routes are currently being flown with Airbus A330-200 aircraft. The jets have 256 total seats, with 20 in business class, 17 in premium economy, and 219 in standard economy. The new airline has also taken delivery of its first Airbus A350 aircraft, though these are not yet in service.

Looking a few months into the future, the new SkyTeam member airline will launch a fifth route to the U.S. — between Rome (FCO) and Los Angeles (LAX) — on June 1, 2022.

Hot Tip: To celebrate the airline’s launch and incentivize travelers to join its Volare frequent flyer program, ITA is offering to match the status of elite members of 15 other airline programs. This status match is a great opportunity to earn reciprocal elite benefits with SkyTeam airlines if you don’t already have them.

Final Thoughts

ITA Airways is slowly but surely expanding its route network and filling the gaps left by the demise of its predecessor Alitalia. Its latest route launch is in the hotly contested New York-Milan market, where it has joined a relatively crowded field of players.

Let’s hope that ITA escapes the troubles that Alitalia struggled to shake off and is able to continue to expand its network to other cities across the U.S. and beyond.