Industry

ITA Airways will join Star Alliance in early 2026

ITA Airways hosted its first press conference of 2025 at its headquarters in Rome Fiumicino. The event was presented by Sandro Pappalardo, Chairman of ITA Airways, Joerg Eberhart, CEO of ITA Airways, and Carsten Spohr, CEO of Deutsche Lufthansa AG.

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The press conference, attended by national and international media, was an opportunity to celebrate the official entry of ITA Airways into the Lufthansa Group, after the closing of the transaction in January and to present the first commercial initiatives resulting from the synergies between the Italian carrier and the Group, to the benefit of passengers.

During the event, the new partnership between ITA Airways’ loyalty program Volare and Lufthansa Group’s Miles & More was announced. This collaboration allows the 2.7 million Volare members to earn and redeem points on flights operated by Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, and Brussels Airlines. Similarly, the 36 million Miles & More members can now earn and redeem points on ITA Airways flights.

During the 2025 IATA summer season, starting on March 30, 2025, additional benefits will be available to passengers which include:

Lounge access: ITA Airways passengers will have access to approximately 130 Lufthansa Group lounges on their travels, while Lufthansa Group passengers will be able to use ITA Airways lounges.
Terminals at Frankfurt and Munich airports: ITA Airways will move its operations to Lufthansa Group terminals at both German hubs, making transfers for passengers easier and faster. At other Lufthansa Group hubs, ITA Airways already offers its flights in the same terminal areas where Lufthansa Group airlines are handled.
Codesharing: Codeshare agreements will be introduced between ITA Airways and Lufthansa Group carriers. This synergy will allow passengers to combine flights operated by multiple Group carriers, providing ITA Airways passengers with access to around 250 destinations, while Lufthansa Group customers will find it easier to reach destinations served by ITA Airways’ network.
Harmonized connections: Flights between Lufthansa Group hubs (Frankfurt, Munich, Zurich, Vienna, and Brussels) and ITA Airways’ primary airports (Rome Fiumicino and Milan Linate) will see harmonized frequencies and schedules, offering passengers a broader choice and shorter connections between flights.

During the press conference, it was also announced that ITA Airways has completed its exit from the SkyTeam alliance. The exit phase, which will end on April 30, 2025, has been designed to ensure a structured and efficient process, prioritizing continuity in dedicated customer services. ITA Airways will continue to collaborate with selected SkyTeam member airlines through existing bilateral agreements, maintaining the benefits available to its customers.

In the coming weeks, ITA Airways will begin the process of joining Star Alliance, the world’s largest global aviation alliance, with completion expected by early 2026.