French business class airline La Compagnie is set to commence a new direct link from Newark International Airport serving New York City to Milan's Malpensa Airport.
The Paris-based carrier is primarily known for its exclusively business class transatlantic flights connecting New York's Newark International Airport with France's Paris Orly Airport and Nice Côte d'Azur International Airport. The new route to Italy's Fashion Capital will debut on April 15, 2022.
La Compagnie's new service to Milan will offer five weekly flights (Thursday through Monday) departing at 9:40 PM from Newark and arriving the next day at 12:00 PM into Milan Malpensa Airport.
Milan: an early and easy choice
La Compagnie will fly the new route on one of its Airbus A321neo aircraft and passengers to Milan can look forward to lounge and priority access. Each plane features 76 full-flat seats and provides thoughtful amenities, including a state-of-the-art entertainment system, unlimited WiFi service, and a unique dining experience offering fresh menu items by renowned chefs.
La Compagnie's president Christian Vernet, who spoke exclusively to Simple Flying last year regarding the planned route, cited Milan as an early target to add capacity:
“We are thrilled to enter the Italian market by way of Milan. Our clientele is consistently looking for a smart, upscale, and thoughtful experience on-board La Compagnie and we are eager to attract both business and leisure travelers with this new route.
The announcement has already been met with great enthusiasm as Americans look forward to traveling to Italy once again and we are confident Italians will feel the same about our service to New York, especially as we introduce new and exciting partnerships with key Italian brands."
The onboard experience will feature dedicated partnerships that celebrate Italian culture, including amenity kits with products from skincare brand Davines, which feature sustainable formulas made in Italy using renewable energy.
Italian-infused food & beverage updates.
The airline will also introduce a new Italian-infused food & beverage program, inspired by local products and curated by Michelin-starred Chefs such as Isabella Potì and Floriano Pellegrino of restaurant Bros in Lecce, and Lorenzo Cogo of El Coq and Dama restaurant in Venice.
"In recent months, we have had the pleasure of meeting our Italian partners who immediately understood our philosophy and were keen to help us develop interesting activations and events throughout the year. In fact, our goal is to become a point of reference beyond the in-flight experience; we want La Compagnie to be an inspiration for everything related to the destination's lifestyle: from self-care and food, to design" adds Christian Vernet.
Milan to New York is a highly competitive market. La Compagnie will face competition from the new Italian flag carrier ITA (which stands for Italia Trasporto Aereo), into New York's JFK International Airport. New York is also served at JFK by Delta and American Airlines, with flights on United Airlines to its Hub at Newark. Emirates flies a fifth-freedom route between JFK and Milan.
The airline previously confirmed they were looking into ordering the new Airbus A321XLR (extra long range), which would allow them to reach markets such as Miami and Chicago from its Paris base.