ITA Airways begins Rome-New York flights as US reopens to Italy travellers

Rome: Italy’s newly launched ITA Airways – successor to former Italian flag carrier Alitalia – has begun its first transatlantic service, offering flights between Rome and New York.

ITA will operate the route between Rome Fiumicino and New York JFK with six flights per week, with the goal of increasing to 14 weekly services over the Christmas holiday season.

The move comes as the United States begins to welcome fully vaccinated and covid-tested air travellers from 33 countries including Italy – from 8 November – ending a travel ban in place for a year and a half.

Under the new travel rules, those travelling to the US require proof of full vaccination as well as a negative covid-19 test within three days of departure.

Passengers will also be subject to contact tracing but there will be no quarantine requirement on arrival.

In addition to the Rome-New York route, Italy’s new national airline has scheduled services from Rome to Miami and Boston next March, with flights from Rome to Los Angeles, and Milan to New York, set to launch next summer.

ITA, which took to the skies for the first time on 15 October – after Alitalia ceased operating after 74 years – is initially serving 44 destinations, rising to 74 by 2025.

The airline will serve more than a dozen Italian cities alongside key European airports such as London-Heathrow and Paris-Charles de Gaulle.

ITA is expected to launch more long-haul flights in the spring of 2022, including to Buenos Aires and São Paulo.