Italy’s ITA Airways is considering launching over a dozen new international routes over the next five years to the US, Asia and Africa, newspaper Corriere della Sera reported, citing people with knowledge of discussions.
The report stated that some routes will be "obvious choices," dictated by the presence of a partner at the destination, who can ensure onward connections.
In January, the Lufthansa Group closed a €325 million deal to acquire a 41% stake in ITA. The Italian airline is now officially part of the Lufthansa Group, becoming the group's fifth network airline.
Destinations in the US that the airline is considering include Newark and Houston, both of which are hubs for United Airlines, a member of Star Alliance, which ITA is joining next year. The Italian carrier will officially join the airline alliance from early 2026, after it received approval to start its integration process into the group on April 2, 2025.
In Africa, ITA is reportedly looking at deploying A321neo aircraft on two routes to Africa - Abidjan and Lagos.
Discussions also include adding routes to Mumbai, Singapore and Osaka, with the report highlighting that the potential reopening of Russian airspace could allow ITA to operate flights to China.
The Italian media outlet said Singapore is “almost certain” to be added to ITA’s network, noting that Lufthansa has a joint venture there with Singapore Airlines.
It was also suggested within the report that the airline is looking at expanding its network in order to boost overall profitability.