Today, ITA Airways hosted its first press conference of 2025 at its headquarters in Rome-Fiumicino. The event was presented by Sandro Pappalardo, Chairman of ITA Airways, Joerg Eberhart, CEO of ITA Airways, and Carsten Spohr, CEO of Deutsche Lufthansa AG.

The press conference, attended by national and international media, was an opportunity to celebrate the official entry of ITA Airways into the Lufthansa Group, after the closing of the transaction in January and to present the first commercial initiatives resulting from the synergies between the Italian carrier and the Group, to the benefit of passengers.

During the event, the new partnership between ITA Airways' loyalty program Volare and Lufthansa Group’s Miles & More was announced. This collaboration allows the 2.7 million Volare members to earn and redeempoints on flights operated by Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, and Brussels Airlines. Similarly, the 36million Miles & More members can now earn and redeem points on ITA Airways flights.

During the 2025 IATA Summer season, starting on March 30, 2025, additional benefits will be available to passengers which include:

Lounge Access: ITA Airways passengers will have access to approximately 130 Lufthansa Group lounges on their travels, while Lufthansa Group passengers will be able to use ITA Airways lounges.

Terminals at Frankfurt and Munich Airports: ITA Airways will move its operations to LufthansaGroup terminals at both German hubs, making transfers for passengers easier and faster. At otherLufthansa Group hubs, ITA Airways already offers its flights in the same terminal areas whereLufthansa Group airlines are handled.

Codesharing: Codeshare agreements will be introduced between ITA Airways and Lufthansa Groupcarriers. This synergy will allow passengers to combine flights operated by multiple Group carriers,providing ITA Airways passengers with access to around 250 destinations, while Lufthansa Groupcustomers will find it easier to reach destinations served by ITA Airways' network.

Harmonized Connections: Flights between Lufthansa Group hubs (Frankfurt, Munich, Zurich,Vienna, and Brussels) and ITA Airways’ primary airports (Rome-Fiumicino and Milan-Linate) will see harmonized frequencies and schedules, offering passengers a broader choice and shorter connections between flights.

During the press conference, it was also announced that ITA Airways has completed its exit from the SkyTeam alliance. The exit phase, which will end on April 30, 2025, has been designed to ensure a structured and efficient process, prioritizing continuity in dedicated customer services. ITA Airways will continue to collaborate with selected SkyTeam member airlines through existing bilateral agreements, maintaining the benefits available to its customers.In the coming weeks, ITA Airways will begin the process of joining Star Alliance, the world’s largest global aviation alliance, with completion expected by early 2026.

“I am pleased to attend ITA Airways’ first press conference as Chairman", said Sandro Pappalardo, Chairman of ITA Airways. “This role is a great responsibility for me, and even after just a few days, I have gained a deeper understanding of the importance of this position and the challenges we will face moving forward, in a climate of total and deep collaboration with the Lufthansa Group. I am confident that the airline will soon achieve its goals and offer passengers and the country greater connectivity and recognition worldwide”.

“Today we are announcing the first commercial initiatives dedicated to our passengers, who will begin benefiting from synergies with the Lufthansa Group", said Joerg Eberhart, CEO of ITA Airways. “Starting today with the partnership between Volare and Miles & More, we will continue in the coming months with additional benefits such as lounges access and code-share flights. Customers flying with ITA Airways will now have access to exclusive advantages and an even more complete flying experience. We have also finalized another historic step for ITA Airways: we have exited the SkyTeam alliance and will soon begin the process of joining Star Alliance. But this is just the beginning – we will continue to work to seize further growth opportunities and offer our customers new benefits in the coming weeks”.

See for details AVIONEWS 1 and 2.