After a presence of over 75 years, ITA Airways (Alitalia’s successor) will drop out of Milan Malpensa Airport to focus on the Milan Linate hub and its main hub, Rome Fiumicino (FCO). On 8 January 2024, flight AZ605 from New York JFK, United States will touch down at Malpensa Airport, marking the end of an era.
The fierce competition on the New York – Milan long-haul market (American Airlines, Delta Airlines, La Compagnie, Emirates Airline, United Airlines), and the lack of hub-and-spoke traffic towards Malpensa made the decision viable.
ITA Airways will remain focused on the other Milanese airport, Linate, which is much closer to the city centre and the business district of Milan. The Italian flag carrier will keep on connecting the airport with intra-European traffic as Linate, know for the famous “Emporio Armani” advert, is only used for medium-haul traffic.
