Summary
- ITA Airways is leaving London Heathrow and is returning its slots to Etihad Airways.
- The airline will shift its operations to London Gatwick and London City airports.
- The airline says that London Heathrow is simply too expensive to operate to, and competition from Ryanair and easyJet could have influenced ITA Airways’ decision.
Italian national carrier, Italia Trasporto Aereo (ITA Airways), will leave London Heathrow for good. The airline will return its slots to Etihad Airways, from which it’s leasing them. ITA Airways will as an alternative shift to London Gatwick and London City Airport.
In accordance with Italian media Corriere della Sera, ITA Airways has decided to return the 54 weekly slots it currently uses. Due to this fact, the Italian national airline can be suspending its Rome Fiumicino and Milan Linate to London Heathrow services, which operate at a complete frequency of eight flights per day. The choice was uncovered in a Slot Swap Request form from Airport Coordination Ltd, the corporate answerable for slot management and organization.
Etihad, Alitalia, ITA and London Heathrow
Services will end on March 30 in the beginning of the aviation summer season. In November, the Italian national carrier informed the slot regulator and asked that its slots be returned to Etihad Airways.
Alitalia, its predecessor, actually owned each the 54 slots in query and a further 14. When Etihad Airways withdrew its 49% stake within the airline, it took with it the 54 slots that it later leased back to the Italian national airline. The associated fee, Corriere writes, was greater than 10,000 euros per day, or EUR 3.76 million per 12 months.
London Heathrow is a notoriously expensive airport to operate at – a lot in order that it was the middle of one of the vital costly airport slot deals ever. In 2016, Oman Air reportedly spent a whopping $75 million to accumulate a peak morning slot on the London airport from Kenya Airways.
![An Oman Air Boeing 787 Dreamliner flying in the sky.](https://static1.simpleflyingimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/shutterstock_2312287041-1.jpg)
A Look At The Biggest Airport Slot Deal In History Where $75 Million Modified Hands
Early morning landing slots are perfect for business travelers.
London City and London Gatwick
ITA has announced that its London operation will shift to London City and London Gatwick, each of that are expected to be considerably cheaper than London Heathrow. Heavy competition from Ryanair and easyJet is suspected to have contributed to the airline’s decision to maneuver, considering Heathrow’s higher overall operational cost.
The London City operation currently includes services from Milan Linate. Initially, it was understood that the flights would operate thrice weekly. Strong demand has encouraged the airline to extend its service, with as much as five day by day flights on offer from April 10. Total frequencies will reach 31 per week, with its fleet of Airbus A220-100s.
Photo: London City Airport
From March 31, ITA may also add a double day by day rotation from Rome Fiumicino on most days, replacing its services to Heathrow. It’ll operate using an Airbus A220-100 with a morning and a night service generally offered. Overall, ITA will fly the route 12 times per week, This reflects the business traveler-oriented aspect of the carrier’s updated offering, given the airport’s central location near Canary Wharf, an area considered a key financial center in the UK.
London Gatwick may also be added to the ITA network as of June 1, 2024. Operated by an Airbus A319, flights will run day by day within the morning. This addition appears to be more leisure-traveler-focused and may very well be a possibility to capture some connecting traffic.
Lufthansa-ITA still awaiting EU approval
In other news, Lufthansa’s progressive acquisition of the Italian national carrier – first starting with a 41% stake within the airline and later rising to 100%.- continues to be under investigation by the European Commission’s competition authority.
Earlier this week, sources told Corriere that one other condition had been placed on the table, along with the previously rumored requirement that Lufthansa and ITA surrender several slots at busy airports and cut frequencies on specific routes. Now, it is known that ITA and Lufthansa could have to each find and support their rivals in organising their operation within the affected sectors.
Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Easy Flying
The conditions are limitless and exhausting for the 2 parties involved in accordance with sources speaking with the Italian news site. Slightly than blocking the merger, it seems the European Commission is forcing them to provide up. No confirmation has been provided by any of the parties over the event of negotiations.