Interessante intervista a tutto campo di Joerg Eberhart rilasciata alla stampa specializzata a New York dove anticipa la riapertura di Londra Heathrow di Ita Airways e la difficoltà nel reperire nuovi aerei che spinge la compagnia a cercare nuove soluzioni con Lufthansa (si parla di B787 addirittura).
Questions have been condensed and lightly edited for clarity; responses are reproduced in full to preserve meaning.
Q: Will ITA keep the A220 despite engine issues? And how do you see the long-haul fleet evolving?
A (Eberhart): Yes, we’ll keep the A220. Availability of other aircraft types is extremely limited for the next several years, so replacement isn’t realistic. If alternatives were available, we would evaluate them, but at this point there are no open delivery slots. Over the next three years we’ll continue phasing out older A320-family aircraft; by then, more than 95 percent of our fleet will be new-generation. That will give ITA one of the youngest fleets in Europe, with an average age of about six years or less.
On the long-haul side, summer demand was slightly below budget in July–August, but we saw a strong rebound in November — probably deferred leisure demand and travelers choosing to avoid peak-season crowds in places like Venice. Inbound U.S. traffic remains a key driver.
Q: If ITA were to sue Pratt & Whitney, would that be handled by ITA or by Lufthansa?
A (Eberhart): It would be ITA. The damages — grounded aircraft, loss of feeder capacity, and pilot-productivity impacts — are ITA’s direct responsibility. Even if Lufthansa raises its stake to 90 percent, the Italian state holds the remaining 10 percent, and the harm occurs at ITA. Our duty as management is to minimize and recover those losses ourselves.
Q: Which aircraft are grounded?
A (Eberhart): It’s a mix of A220, A320neo, and A321neo models, each with different GTF variants. Roughly 20 aircraft are parked, which affects feeder traffic into Rome and overall utilization.
Q: Do pilots have a monthly pay floor similar to U.S. carriers?
A (Eberhart): We have a new collective agreement designed for flexibility. Minimum guarantees exist, but they can be quite low if flight hours drop sharply — and that’s what creates tension with the unions. Some of our pilots are qualified on multiple fleets (A330neo and A350, for example), even triple-qualified on A320-family plus A330 and A350. The A220 remains a separate line. Mixed-fleet flying adds simulator time and training complexity, but it increases overall productivity.
Q: Do the Olympics or Jubilee periods bring extra capacity?
A (Eberhart): These events don’t always deliver the surges that forecasts predict. We’ll monitor demand and deploy charters selectively, but winter is our low season anyway.
Q: How will North America growth look once the antitrust immunity and joint venture are approved?
A (Eberhart): After A+++ approval, ITA can coordinate routes, pricing, and capacity with United and Air Canada. For instance, adding Newark to complement JFK makes sense, and Houston is another candidate. Discussions must wait for regulatory clearance, but planning is underway. Some new wide-bodies on order will replace A330-200s; net growth is about +1 long-haul aircraft per year through 2030. Rome’s long-haul market has grown roughly 6 percent annually over the past decade — twice the European average — so we may eventually accelerate, but A350 availability is tight until 2032. Used A350s exist but at prices that could break route economics. A 787-9 ER is a potential option for range-critical markets like South America, U.S. West Coast, and Japan, but a Group-level solution may be optimal once Lufthansa is majority owner.
Q: How exactly does the A++ joint venture operate?
A (Eberhart): It’s a contractual commercial arrangement, not a new company. All North Atlantic capacity and revenue are managed as if by one entity, then allocated via agreed KPIs. It’s complex, especially when partners grow at different rates, but it allows joint network and pricing decisions. ITA’s five-member board — three appointed by the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance, two by Lufthansa — must approve ITA’s entry. The benefits are clear: higher U.S. revenue share and coordinated connectivity.
(Airways) Q: How long will the legacy Alitalia cabins remain in service?
A (Eberhart): As we replace older aircraft with new ones, we’re also harmonizing the interiors. You won’t see the classic Alitalia cabins for long — even the A330-200s we acquired second-hand aren’t representative of ITA’s product. We’re correcting earlier design missteps — for example, white leather and white carpet, which show wear too easily.
(Airways) Q: Could the A321XLR serve transatlantic or longer-range missions?
A (Eberhart): We’re experimenting now with A321neo aircraft in a three-class layout on five- to six-hour routes. If the business case proves viable after four years, the LR or XLR could be compelling. The LR could cover the U.S. East Coast, Middle East, and sub-Saharan Africa from Rome; the XLR could reach parts of the U.S. West Coast. But to make it work financially, you need at least 10 aircraft and 10–15 routes. So far, modeled portfolios haven’t met that threshold, but results from our current trial may change that.
(Airways) Q: When will ITA join Star Alliance?
A (Eberhart): We’ve already started the process. There’s a long checklist — commercial, IT, terminal, and product-standard alignment — but we expect completion in about six to eight months.
(Airways) Q: Are you returning to London Heathrow?
A (Eberhart): Yes. Thanks to our collaboration with the Lufthansa Group, we’ve secured Heathrow slots; ITA had none left previously. We also operate to London City, but the Heathrow return from Rome is strategically important.
Q: What’s the timeline for integrating Volare into Miles & More?
A (Eberhart): We’re targeting the end of February next year. Some details depend on fiscal and labor-law clarifications with the Italian authorities. We launched a first status match in July to align tier levels. Exact conversion of Volare points to Miles & More miles will follow those regulatory approvals.
Q: What is ITA’s strategy in Milan? Any return to Malpensa?
A (Eberhart): We’re focused on Linate, not Malpensa. Linate-to-Fiumicino feeds the long-haul hub despite strong high-speed rail competition for point-to-point traffic. We have no plans to return to Malpensa. As part of the EU approval process for Lufthansa’s stake, we surrendered Linate slots to British Airways and Air France as remedies.
Airways joined Joerg Eberhart, CEO of ITA Airways, for a private media roundtable where he outlined ITA’s transformation strategy.
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