Emiliana Limosani: “The new connection with Riyadh marks a significant milestone for our Company”
ITA Airwaysthe national airline of reference, started connections with Saudi Arabia today with the first direct flight between Rome Fiumicino and Riyadh.
Present at the ribbon cutting ceremony at Terminal E of Leonardo da Vinci airport in Fiumicino for ITA Airways Tommaso Fumelli, VP Italy Sales and Pierfrancesco Carino, VP International Sales; Carlo Baldocci, Plenipotentiary Minister serving at the General Directorate for Political Affairs and Ambassador designated in Riyadh; Sami Ibrahim Al Yahya, Head of Office of HRH the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Italy; Fabio Nicolai, Deputy Director General of ENAC; Raffaello Biselli, Councilor for Commerce and Markets, productive activities and Suap of the Municipality of Fiumicino; Susann Kern, Country Manager Italy of Saudi Tourism Authority and Federico Scriboni, Aviation Business Development Director of Aeroporti di Roma.
“We are proud to inaugurate our first direct flight to Riyadh and Saudi Arabia todaya rapidly expanding and strategic market for ITA Airways especially for business traffic – declared Emiliana Limosani, Chief Commercial Officer ITA Airways and CEO Volare – The new Rome – Riyadh connection marks a significant milestone for our Company and will intensify exchanges between the Arabian Peninsula and our country. Our commitment to the Middle Eastern region will continue with the introduction of new direct flights to Kuwait City and Jeddah in July and August respectively”.
“Saudi Arabia is a rapidly expanding market – declared Federico Scriboni, Aviation Business Development Director of Aeroporti di Roma – with approximately 200,000 passengers transported in 2023, Fiumicino has quadrupled its 2019 traffic volumes, a growth trend confirmed in the first quarter of 2024, increasing by +33% compared to the same period last year. The launch of ITA Airways’ new air connection to Riyadh demonstrates the growing importance of a market, with excellent prospects for further development for both the leisure and business segments”.
Happy to welcome the new air route from Riyadh to Rome, Ayman AboAbah, CEO of Riyadh Airports Company company that manages King Khalid International Airport, he has declared: “This is a significant milestone in our ongoing efforts to expand our network and strengthen our connections with key global cities. We are excited to offer our passengers more travel options and We look forward to welcoming travelers from Rome to discover the rich culture and hospitality of Riyadh. This new route is a testament to our commitment to providing a high level of service and enhancing the travel experience for our passengers.” concluded the CEO.
The newly launched connection operates five weekly frequencies, departing from Rome Fiumicino every day except Tuesday and Saturday at 3.25pm and landing in Riyadh at 9.25pm (local time) and departing from Riyadh every day except Wednesday and Sunday at 01.45am (local time) local) and arrive in Rome Fiumicino at 06:35.
The new connection is operated with a new generation and technologically advanced Airbus A321neo. The A321neo is the first narrow body aircraft configured with three separate cabins: Business Class (12 seats), Premium Economy (12 seats) and Economy (141 seats of which 12 dedicated to Comfort Economy). Efficient and silent, the new A321neo boasts fuel consumption and CO2 emissions per seat that are more than 20% lower and allows for a 50% reduction in noise impact compared to previous generation aircraft. Among the distinctive elements of the new aircraft, the Airspace cabin with new colors and new materials, the latest generation seats, the new customized ITA Airways interior lighting and the XL overhead bins stand out. Furthermore, each seat is equipped with an entertainment system with latest generation “on demand” video and audio, a 17.3” (Business), 15.6” (Premium Economy) and 13.3′ touch-screen ‘ (Economy) with low reflectance and 4K resolution for a simple, fluid and intuitive user experience.
The opening of the new Rome – Riyadh flight represents an important product for the Companywhich thus inaugurates connections with the Arabian peninsula, a market in which the new Rome-Fiumicino – Kuwait City (1 July) and Rome Fiumicino – Jeddah (1 August) flights will also soon be opened.
The opening of connections also for Accra and Dakar 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 12 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 the ITA Airways sales channels, via the official website www.ita-airways.com the Company’s Customer Center, travel agencies and airport ticket offices.
