(Finance) – Today, with 100% capacity at 2.10 pm, the first flight operated by ITA Airways that connects Rome Fiumicino to New Delhi, with the Airbus A330.
They were present at the ribbon cutting Emiliana Limosani, Chief Commercial Officer ITA Airways and CEO VolareTommaso Fumelli, Vice President Sales Italy ITA Airways, Pierluigi Di Palma, ENAC Presidentfor Rome Airports Ivan Bassato Chief Aviation Officer and Federico Scriboni Head of Aviation Business Developmentfor ENIT the CEO Ivana JelinicAnd Neena Malhotra Indian Ambassador in Italy.
“We are happy to be able to inaugurate today the ITA Airways Rome Fiumicino – New Delhi connections, the only direct flights between the capitals of the two countries” – he declared Emiliana Limosani – Chief Commercial Officer of ITA Airways and CEO Volare. “ITA Airways, with the opening of this new route for the transport of passengers and goods between Italy and India, intends to further contribute to the cultural integration and development of the economic relationship between the two countries which have developed a solid partnership in recent years political and commercial, with the presence of more than 600 Italian companies in India and with bilateral trade that reached a record value of more than 10 billion euros in 2021. We have thus added an important element to our project to expand the intercontinental network towards a fascinating destination and a market full of opportunities. Furthermore, thanks to the flight departing from New Delhi to Rome, our Indian customers will be able to visit, with the convenient connections from our Fiumicino hub, not only Italy but all of Europe” concluded the Chief Commercial Officer.
For the Chief Aviation Officer of ADR, Ivan Bassato, the Ita flight between Rome and New Delhi, inaugurated today, “represents a new strategic route for Italy and for Fiumicino”. “A connection with the capital of one billion inhabitants – he underlined on the sidelines of the ribbon-cutting ceremony in Fiumicino – an Indian people who have strong ties with our country and who need to travel and come to Italy, as equals of many companies and compatriots who need to go to India, a reality full of opportunities, with an efficient and direct flight: we are thrilled to have inaugurated the new flight today alongside a strategic partner such as Ita Airways”. Bassato recalled that “almost 230,000 passengers traveled between Rome and New Delhi in 2019 with flights operated by Alitalia at the time and before Covid: now we are taking up again with Ita with greater possibilities, with a more dynamic market. A primary flight importance for the intercontinental connectivity of our airport and the opening of this route testifies to the importance of the main Italian airport in Ita’s development strategy. At the same time it confirms the levels of attractiveness achieved by the Roman hub towards airlines and passengers , in a context in which the recovery of air traffic has given new life to international destinations with renewed interest in long-haul travel after a two-year stop due to the restrictions for the Covid”.
“I am pleased to participate in the inauguration of a new intercontinental connection – comments the President of ENAC Pierluigi Di Palma – which comes just a few days after the start of the direct Rome – Tokyo. ITA Airways is growing rapidly, consolidating its position as the reference carrier for our country and creating a network that increasingly brings the Italian brand to the world. Seizing the opportunities that come from the carrier’s positioning not only on the EU market, but also on international traffic routes, where the demand for tourism and business is strong, can only contribute further to strengthening the company in a highly competitive context”.
“I am enthusiastic that the Italian system is developing sharing and growth strategies to enhance the Italy brand in the eyes of the world. The flight marks a recovery that is a breath of fresh air for the sector which thus projects itself into perspective and opens up to new frontiers. The Indian market has a high spending capacity and is looking for exclusive events and Italy has all the elements to position itself as a natural reference attractor.The focus is on international competitiveness challenges that reposition the peninsula in a market with strong potential Today is a significant opportunity to increase tourism between the two countries,” he said Ivana Jelinic CEO Enit.
“I am very happy that after a difficult period such as the one experienced during the Covid-19 pandemic, exchanges between India and Italy are finally resuming and the opening of this important direct flight is proof of this – said theAmbassador of India to the Italian Republic and San Marino, Her Excellency Neena Malhotra– above all I am proud that it is happening at a time when we are celebrating the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and Italy and in view of the Indian Presidency of the G20. In this context, I am grateful to ITA Airways for having contributed to the creation of this direct connection which will improve connectivity and business relations between the two countries and will give Italian tourists the possibility to discover the wonders of India and Indian citizens to move around easily in Italy, guaranteeing the highest standards of safety and sustainability.”
On the occasion of the inauguration of the new route, a toast was offered to all passengers at gate E11 to celebrate together this important novelty from ITA Airways.
The new link will have three weekly frequencies, departing at 14:10 every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday from Rome Fiumicino to Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi where arrival is expected the following day at 2:00, local time. The return flight is scheduled from New Delhi every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday at 3.50am arriving in Rome Fiumicino at 8.10am.
With the new intercontinental connection, ITA Airways further expands its network towards the Asian market and confirms the great work aimed at satisfying both the outcoming and incoming needs of customers, importing Indian passengers into Italy. ITA Airways’ strategy aims to ensure that Indian customers use the Italian flag carrier to fly to Europe or to continue to destinations on the domestic network, thanks to the convenient connecting flights from the Fiumicino hub, whether leisure than business.
This new intercontinental connection joins the seven already operated by ITA Airways with direct flights to New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Miami, Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo and Tokyo. The expansion in the Asian market will continue in December with the opening of the new direct flight Rome Fiumicino – Malè, Maldives which will be operated by ITA Airways from 17 December 2022 to 15 April 2023, allowing Italian holidaymakers to choose the Maldives also for holidays of Easter.