ITA lands at London Heathrow thanks to Lufthansa
The former Alitalia airline returns to Europe's largest airport thanks to 'slots' from its German parent company
On Sunday morning, ITA Airways, the airline that took over from Alitalia, inaugurated the first flight toRome Fiumicino from Heathrow airport, from where it had been absent for years.
The return to London
For the Italian airline, which was sold by the Draghi and Meloni governments to Lufthansa, this is a welcome return to the UK's main airport: it will now also be connected to Leonardo Da Vinci airport by ITA, which joins British Airways among the national airlines.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held for the occasion in the presence ofCarla Catuogno, Head of Europe Sales Region of ITA Airways, Ben Crowley, Head of Aviation - Airline Partnerships and Engagement at Heathrow andJonas Badde, First Secretary of the Embassy of Italia in London.
The flight calendar
The direct connection between the two capitals will be operated with two daily frequencies, designed to guarantee passengers maximum flexibility and convenience in travelling, with the following timetables (expressed in local time): from Rome Fiumicino to London Heathrow, first flight departing at 7:50 and arriving at 9:40; second flight departing at 13:50 and arriving at 15:40. From London Heathrow to Rome Fiumicino, first flight departing at 10:30 and arriving at 14:10; second flight departing at 16:30 and arriving at 20:10.
Lufthansa gives up space
The resumption of flights from Europe's busiest as well as the world's most connected airport was possible thanks to the cooperation with Lufthansa, which made the necessary airport slots available to ITA Airways. Connections between the British capital and Milan Linate will continue to be operated at London city airport. "We are celebrating a great milestone: our airline is returning to Heathrow, the UK's only hub airport and one of the most important in the world. It is a further demonstration of the importance of our synergies with the Lufthansa Group, which has enabled us to get the slots we need to operate," said Joerg Eberhart, Managing Director and General Manager of ITA Airways. "Returning to Heathrow will bring many benefits: we will be able to fly larger aircraft with more capacity, increasing passengers and revenues."
