ITA Airwaysthe national reference company, started connections with Canada today with the first direct flight between Rome Fiumicino and Toronto.
Present at the ribbon cutting ceremony at Terminal E of Leonardo da Vinci airport in Fiumicino, Emiliana Limosani, Chief Commercial Officer of ITA Airways and CEO of Volare, Ivan Bassato Chief Aviation Officer of Aeroporti di Roma, Ivana Jelinic CEO of ENIT , the Honorable Gianluca Caramanna, Deputy and Advisor to the Minister of Tourism, Giovanni Maria De Vita, Advisor to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and Coordinator of the “Roots Tourism” Project, Sameena Qureshi, Minister Advisor to the Canadian Embassy in Italy and Mario Baccini, Mayor of the Municipality of Fiumicino.
“The opening of ITA Airways connections between Italy and Canada responds to the high demand for mobility between the two countries, also by virtue of the significant presence of Canadian citizens of Italian origins – he has declared Emiliana Limosani Chief Commercial Officer of ITA Airways and CEO Volare – With our direct flight we expect to transport up to 2 million Italian-Canadian passengers who travel between the two countries every year. The connection will also allow our Passengers to have access not only to point-to-point traffic, but also to reach other destinations within both countries, thus combining tourism and business travel – adds the CCO – once again confirming ITA Airways’ commitment to providing optimal travel solutions to its Customers. The new route is already seeing excellent results in terms of bookings, reaching over 30,000 passengers in the period from May to September”.
“With this new strategic route between Italy and Canada – observe Pierluigi Di Palma President of Enac – ITA Airways continues to look to the future and invest in the intercontinental growth of the network, strengthening connections between two countries united by a deep cultural, political and economic bond. In doing so, it responds to a growing need for mobility and further shortens distances to North America, to the benefit of passengers who will use this flight. With the introduction of new destinations and the use of technologically advanced aircraft, air transport in Italy and ITA Airways thus confirm that they invest in environmental sustainability, interconnection and accessibility: principles that belong to the institutional culture of Enac”.
“With the launch of this new route to Toronto by our main partner ITA Airways, the Summer 2024 season for Canada is further enriched, counting, in the peak months, as many as 7 daily departures from Rome to the main Canadian cities” – he has declared Ivan Bassato, Chief Aviation Officer of Aeroporti di Roma. “A record schedule of carriers for the North American country which positions Fiumicino among the best European airports, with growth of over 30% compared to 2023 with already record-breaking operations.”
“An important connection that allows us to strengthen collaboration with a strategic market. Canada is one of the countries with one of the highest presences of Italians abroad in the world and therefore has an impact on the development of return tourism. The new ITA Airways Rome – Toronto flight therefore represents another step in Italy’s tourism development, offering a unique opportunity to expand and diversify tourist flows to our country. Thanks to direct air connections to new destinations, we can welcome an increasingly varied and international audience, promoting our rich cultural, food and wine and landscape offering effectively and on a global scale. This new air service not only facilitates access to the Italian territory, but also contributes to strengthening our competitive position in the international tourism scene, positioning Italy as a first choice destination for travelers from all over the world” declares Ivana Jelinic to Enit.
“We believe the connection launched today by ITA Airways with Toronto is fundamental, especially in the year dedicated to ‘Roots Tourism’ – declared the Hon. Gianluca Caramanna, Deputy and Advisor to the Minister of Tourism – This is a strategic tourism partnership not only for the Italian communities in Canada, which we allow to have a direct connection, but also for the great interest shown by Canadians in our nation”.
The newly launched connection operates with six weekly frequencies which will become daily from June to September and will move to five weekly frequencies in October. In May the timetable includes departure from Rome Fiumicino at 10.15am with landing in Toronto at 2.05pm (local time), while the flight from Toronto leaves at 4.40pm (local time) and arrives in Rome Fiumicino at 7.15am the next day.
The inaugural flight was operated with the new, next-generation, technologically advanced Airbus A330-900. To ensure an exceptional travel experience, the A330-900 features a three-class layout featuring 30 seats in Business Class, with seats that fully lie flat into a bed, 24 seats in Premium Economy and 237 seats in Economy , of which 36 are dedicated to Comfort Economy: all to guarantee a comfortable and pleasant journey for passengers.
The opening of the new Rome – Toronto flight represents an important product for the Company, which thus increases connections with North America, the first market for ITA Airways after Italy. The direct Rome Fiumicino – Chicago flight was inaugurated on 7 April and with these two new routes launched in Summer 2024, the destinations reached by ITA Airways in the USA and Canada reach 8.
The direct Rome Fiumicino – Riyadh flight will be inaugurated on 2 June 2024, followed by Accra, Dakar, Kuwait City and Jeddah, which will bring the destinations operated in Summer 2024 to a total of 57, of which 16 national, 26 international and 15 intercontinental . Furthermore, in the summer peak the Company will fly to 11 additional seasonal destinations, selected among the most popular Mediterranean tourism destinations, including Greece, Spain, Croatia and the Italian islands, reachable with direct flights from Rome Fiumicino and Milan Linate.
It is possible to purchase new flights on ITA Airways sales channels, through the official website www.ita-airways.com, the Company’s Customer Center, travel agencies and airport ticket offices.
