Italy’s national carrier ITA Airways announced a new codeshare agreement with Hainan Airlines on Monday. The partnership links both airlines’ networks, offering travelers more flexibility and connections.
Flights reflecting the agreement will be available to book on both airlines’ websites this week. The launch of the codeshare agreement is ITA’s latest since announcing a partnership with Etihad last month.
“More options and better connectivity”
In a statement, ITA said the agreement will benefit passengers flying for business needs or leisure travel.
“This new commercial partnership is designed to increase business and leisure travel between the People’s Republic of China and Italy and will offer to travelers more options and better connectivity when traveling through Rome Fiumicino.”
Tickets will be available on April 21st, according to ITA. Through the partnership, seven Italian destinations will be featured on Hainan Airlines’ website for booking: Catania, Naples, Bari, Venice, Florence, Bologna, and Turin. The flights will be offered through a connection at Rome Fiumicino Airport.
Photo: Hainan Airlines
Paris, France, and Athens, Greece, will be the international destinations offered. ITA said Hainan will apply its “HU” code on the flights to those cities and that they will be additionally available for sale through airline reservation systems and travel agencies.
“The two airlines are working in order to expand the scope of their cooperation in the coming months and to offer customers even more affordable travel options,” the carrier explained.
Growing to become profitable
The new agreement with Hainan comes as reports have surfaced that German carrier Lufthansa has been in talks with the Italian Ministry of Economy to acquire an equity interest in ITA. Last month, the flag carrier of Italy posted a net loss of €486 million ($528 million). While it was a significant loss, the airline has not reported more losses than profits compared to its predecessor, Alitalia, during its 75 years of operation.
Photo: Davide Calabresi/Shutterstock
Since Alitalia ceased operations in 2021, ITA has worked to fill the gap. In addition to inheriting most of Altalia’s planes, the airline joined the SkyTeam Alliance, allowing Italian travelers to continue enjoying seamless connections.
Other notable codeshare agreements
The carrier partnered with Avianca in October, increasing connectivity at London Heathrow Airport and Miami International Airport. Passengers can book flights on either carrier’s website for travel to Bogota, Cali, Medellín, and Rome or vice versa, connecting through London or Miami. Avianca formerly had a codeshare agreement with Alitalia, similar to several other airlines.
ITA began a large codeshare agreement with Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines in 2021, putting its code on 92 additional destinations operated by Delta. Some cities include transatlantic flights to Delta’s Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, and New York hubs. The partnership also extended to connections across Delta’s domestic network in the continental US, Mexico, and Canada.
Delta placed its code on ITA-operated flights to 33 cities, including flights from Rome to New York, Washington D.C., Boston, Los Angeles, and Miami. ITA, an all-Airbus operator, has codeshare agreements with over 30 airlines, significantly expanding its reach.
