Pope Francis flies to DR Congo and South Sudan with ITA Airways

With departure from Rome Fiumicino on January 31 at 07:55, it is the first papal flight on the Company’s Airbus A350, its flagship aircraft delivering zero CO2 impact

The Holy Father will be travelling with ITA Airways on his next papal flight on January 31, departing at 07:55 from Rome Fiumicino to Kinshasa International Airport in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The flight will be at zero CO2 impact.

For the first time, ITA Airways has chosen the Airbus A350, the Company’s flagship aircraft with a blue livery for the Holy Father’s trip. It is a latest-generation aircraft, lighter, quieter, and more efficient. A long-haul leader, the A350 delivers 25% less fuel consumption and CO2 emissions compared to previous-generation aircraft. As usual, the flight will depart from Terminal 5 in Rome Fiumicino’s Leonardo da Vinci Airport, with landing scheduled at 15:00 local time.

During the Apostolic Journey, His Holiness will also visit the city of Juba, in South Sudan. To reach this further destination, the flight will depart on February 3 at 10:40 from Kinshasa International Airport and land at 15:00 at Juba International Airport. The Holy Father’s return to Rome Fiumicino is scheduled on February 5 at 17:15.

Antonino Turicchi, the President of ITA Airways, Fabio Maria Lazzerini, CEO and General Director ITA Airways, and Emiliana Limosani, Chief Commercial Officer ITA Airways and CEO Volare, will be greeting the Holy Father at Fiumicino Airport. A crew of 14 people made up of 3 pilots and 11 flight attendants as well as ITA Airways’ team dedicated to special flights will be on board the papal flight. Commander Massimiliano Marselli, with 18,000 hours of flight experience, will be the supervisor of onboard activities. Additionally, the papal delegation and the representatives of the Italian and International press will travel with Pope Francis.

For ITA Airways it is an honour and a source of great pride to accompany the Holy Father on his Apostolic Journey: a recognition of the Company’s values, including sustainability placed at the centre of its strategy, as also the Holy Father constantly recalls in his testimonies.

On this trip, ITA Airways has implemented a plan that includes the streamlining of operational procedures, the use of SAF (Sustainable Airline Fuel) for a quantity equal to 0.5% of the refuelling necessary for flights and the full offsetting of emissions that cannot be eliminated through participation in Gold Standard-certified CO2 reduction projects.

Rome, January 24, 2023