Ita Airways reaches agreement with trade unions: support for up to 180 voluntary redundancies

Agreement reached at Ita Airways to provide financial support for up to 180 voluntary redundancies. Filt-Cgil, Fit-Cisl, Uiltrasporti, Ugl-ta, Anpac and Anp have signed the agreement with Ita Airways, which had initiated the procedures under Law 223/1991, initially identifying 226 workers as surplus to requirements.

The agreement reached with the trade unions and professional associations stipulates that the redundancies will apply exclusively to workers who formally state that they do not object to being placed on the NASPI scheme. They will be eligible for social safety net benefits, namely unemployment benefit for a period of up to 24 months, supplemented by the Air Transport Solidarity Fund (FSTA) to provide financial support amounting to up to 80 per cent of the average of their last 12 pay slips. In addition to this financial support, there will be a company incentive of 10–12 per cent (depending on the timing of the redundancy) for the entire duration of the NASPI scheme, to be paid as a lump sum; with this supplement, the total benefit will cover up to 90–92 per cent of the reference salary for the period during which NASPI is received. Workers who opt into the scheme will also be guaranteed travel concessions with ITA Airways.

Trade unions and professional associations emphasise that this has ‘thus averted the possibility of workers being forcibly removed from the production cycle’. At this stage, the interministerial decree from the Ministry of Labour and the Ministry of Economy and Finance is expected to be issued within days to extend the current duration of the Naspi scheme by a further 12 to 24 months, thereby further expanding the opportunities for those who sign up to the agreement.

At the same time, new aircraft are on their way to expand the Ita Airways fleet, and new routes are scheduled to open in 2027 (Santo Domingo from 30 November, Caracas from 30 March, Verona from 28 March; Lima is under consideration, including flights from Malpensa) which will be supported by the recruitment of over 400 new cabin crew members.

The agreement forms part of the airline’s development strategy and its gradual integration into the Lufthansa Group, which involves a review of its organisational structures. As is well known, Lufthansa has decided to exercise its option to acquire a majority stake in ITA Airways, increasing its shareholding from 41 per cent to 90 per cent; this transaction is due to be completed in the first quarter of 2027, once all the necessary approvals have been obtained from the regulatory authorities.