By Chicago/Rome, April 8th, 2024 – ITA Airways opened its new Chicago O’Hare – Rome Fiumicino nonstop connection. The inaugural flight, which departed yesterday at 3:00 p.m. (local time) from the American city, was operated with the new Airbus A330neo, the cutting edge of ITA Airways’ fleet and the ultimate reference in technology, digitalization, innovation, efficiency and “Made in Italy” design.
To celebrate the launch of the new intercontinental route, a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held at the departure gate of Chicago O’Hare International Airport in the presence of Emiliana Limosani, ITA Airways Chief Commercial Officer and CEO Volare, Thomas Botzios, Consul General of Italy in Chicago, and Amber Ritter, Managing Deputy Commissioner and Chief Commercial Officer for the Chicago Department of Aviation.
“We are proud to be here today and launch the new nonstop flight between Chicago and Rome.” said Emiliana Limosani Chief Commercial Officer ITA Airways and CEO Volare “This new destination, the seventh in North America, further enriches the intercontinental network of ITA Airways and consolidates our expansion towards the United States, which is the first international market for our Company. The multiple services from Rome Fiumicino connecting to New York, Boston, Washington, Miami, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and the newly opened Chicago enhance our efforts to be the reference carrier from the United States to Italy and via Rome to Europe and the Mediterranean for the Italian community, the international business communities in North America as well as the major communities in the Mediterranean region“.
“As Consul General of Italy in Chicago, I am very happy and grateful to ITA Airways for this new Chicago-Rome connection, which contributes to bringing Italy even closer to the heart of the United States, ensuring an ideal territorial contiguity between Rome and the American Midwest.” stated Thomas Botzios, Consul General of Italy in Chicago“An area that sees the presence of some of the main Italian industrial Groups, and a network of over a hundred SMEs that embody Italian entrepreneurship and its ability to combine innovation and tradition. I am sure that the over thirty thousand Italians and the one and a half million Americans of Italian heritage living in the Midwest, represented here by Comites, NIAF, and JCCIA, are eager to travel this new route that evokes Italy since the very first glance on such beautiful blue aircraft.”
“On behalf of Mayor Brandon Johnson and the entire City of Chicago, I thank our partners at ITA Airways for their investment in the Chicago market,” said Commissioner Jamie L. Rhee of the CDA, which owns and operates Chicago O’Hare and Midway International Airports. “O‘Hare is serving its largest number of Italian destinations ever in 2024, and this new route will help connect the people of Chicago to all of the rich culture and history that Rome has to offer.”
“Chicago’s enduring status as a world-class destination is thanks, in large part, to our two airports and their connections to the world,” said Rich Gamble, Interim President and CEO, Choose Chicago. “We are thrilled to celebrate the launch of ITA Airways new direct service to Rome, and we look forward to welcoming more visitors from Italy and across Europe to explore everything that Chicago has to offer.”
In the current Summer 2024, the new direct Chicago – Rome connection will initially provide 6 weekly frequencies, increasing to 7 from June. Moreover, with the new intercontinental destinations opening this summer, and including in addition to Chicago also the Toronto – Rome nonstop flight launching on May 10th, the Company will offer 140 weekly flights between North America and Italy in the peak of the season.
The opening of the new connection, the seventh to North America, represents a crucial product for ITA Airways. The United States is indeed ITA Airways’ first strategic market after Italy and the new route will allow the airline to add a further strategic access not only for point-to-point traffic, but also for onward connections to other destinations within the Country, combining leisure and business traffic flows.
The new Chicago route is also a further step in ITA Airways’ intercontinental network expansion strategy for the current summer season, including 57 destinations, with 16 domestic, 26 international and 15 intercontinental. North America, Africa and the Middle East are the markets where the airline will launch nonstop flights from its Rome Fiumicino hub. In May, direct connections to Toronto and Riyadh will be launched. In June it will be the turn of nonstop flights to Accra and Kuwait City, in July to Dakar and in August to Jeddah. Furthermore, in the peak of the summer season, ITA Airways will add 11 seasonal connections, selected from the most popular Mediterranean tourist destinations, including Greece, Spain, Croatia and the Italian islands with Rhodes, Ibiza, Palma de Mallorca, Menorca, Heraklion, Corfu, Split, Kefalonia, Lampedusa, Sardinia and Pantelleria.
The new intercontinental destinations for Summer 2024 join the direct long-haul flights already operated to New York, Boston, Miami, Los Angeles, Washington, San Francisco, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, Tokyo and New Delhi.
ITA Airways started its operations on 15th October 2021 with a fleet of 52 aircraft. At the heart of the Company’s strategy is its ambition to be an ambassador of Made in Italy by offering personalized services and ensuring a completely Italian in-flight experience at every stage of the journey. This goal is achieved thanks to important partnerships with renowned Italian brands, such as Brunello Cucinelli, who designed the uniforms of the crew and ground staff, Walter De Silva, who created the interiors of ITA Airways’ new aircraft, and starred Italian chefs, who are signing the on-board gastronomic offerings. One of the Company’s strategic pillars is also its commitment to sustainability, achieved through a continuous fleet renewal with technologically advanced and efficient aircraft. ITA Airways’ fleet currently comprises 87 Airbus aircraft, including 44 of the latest generation.
