Airlines

History of Airlines in Italy

The first airline founded in Italy was Alitalia – Linee Aeree Italiane (Alitalia – Italian Air Lines) in 1946 at the end of World War II. This previous incarnation of Alitalia served as the flagship carrier and was a nationalised provider up until it went bankrupt in 2008. Compagnia Aerea Italiana (CAI) purchased the brand, and the relaunching of Alitalia will make it the airline as the flagship carrier once again. Other Italian airlines have a more recent history, most of which date back to the 1960s, 1990s and 2000s. With the introduction of other European based low-cost airlines, there has been a decline in the domestic air traffic and a rise in international air traffic. Passengers have plenty of budget options offered by low-cost airlines such as Ryanair and easyJet. As a result, many Italian airlines are trying to diversify their offers and journeys to compete in the ever-changing market.

Major Airlines in Italy

Alitalia is the official national airline and the leading provider for journeys in Italy as well as further abroad. Other important airlines include Meridiana, and Blue Panorama Airlines. While the popularity of foreign based low-budget airlines in Italy has increased, Alitalia and Meridiana remain the largest airlines operating in Italy.

Alitalia

Alitalia, originally founded in 1946 as the national airline with the name Alitalia – Linee Aeree Italiane, became part of the SkyTeam alliance with Air France, Delta Air Lines, Korean Air, Aeromexico and CSA Czech Airlines in 2001-2002. In 2009, the nationalised form of Alitalia was purchased and became private, when the the group Air One was acquired. Alitalia operates as the premium provider for domestic flights, international and intercontinental flights, while Air One is the standard choice for low-cost flights, both domestic and international.

In 2013, around 23 million passengers flew with Alitalia. The provider offers flights to over 100 destinations (with the highest number of choices available in the summer), of which 26 are to destinations within Italy and 77 are abroad. Passengers have the option to purchase tickets from the following classes: Magnifica Business, Optimal Business, Premium Plus Economy and Classic Economy. Alitalia offers several promotional tickets such as the Offerta Giovani Alitalia which gives a 50% discount on the ticket price for passengers under 26 years old, and quite similarly there is the Giovani Last Minute promotion for last minute deals. There are also discounts dedicated to families with their ‘Family Offer’ for flights in Italy and Europe. Alitalia also provides a rewards programme with Millemiglia Alitalia, in which frequent flyers earn points to spend on future trips and porter access the benefits of exclusive clubs.

Meridiana

Meridiana was founded in 1963 under the name of Alisarda with a goal to promote travel and tourism in Sardinia. In 1991, the company was renamed and international flights to Frankfurt, Paris, London and Barcelona commenced. A merger with Eurofly in 2010 saw the creation of Meridiana Fly, and in 2011 Meridiana acquired the line Air Italy, an Italian charter flight carrier. Based in Olbia, Meridiana is the second biggest Italian airline offering a variety of national and international flight destinations. The main destinations within Italy include Olbia, Cagliari, Naples, Verona, Milan, and Rome.

Blue Panorama Airlines

Blue Panorama Airlines, founded in 1998 in Rome, operates in Europe, Africa, South America, Southeast Asia, the Red Sea and the Dominican Republic. Low-cost journeys for medium and short-haul flights are also available with Blu-Express. The company's main headquarters are located in Rome and Milan at the airports of Rome Fiumicino and Milan Malpensa. The main European destinations that Blue Panorama fly to include Ibiza, Granada, Palma de Mallorca, Santorini, Mykonos, Nice. Within Italy the most popular airports served by this provider are Rome, Milan, Bologna, Naples and Catania.

Popular Routes in Italy

Beautiful and popular destinations to fly to within Italy include Rome, Milan, Catania, Palermo, Naples and Turin. As there has been an increase in international air travel, some of the most travelled routes within Europe and further international include Spain, France, Greece and the United States.