• 

  ITA Airways

  IATA/ICAO Code:

  AZ/ITY

  Airline Type:

  Full Service Carrier

  Hub(s):

  Rome Fiumicino Airport

  Year Founded:

  2020

  Alliance:

  SkyTeam

  CEO:

  Fabio Lazzerini

  Country:

  Italy

• 

  Avianca

  IATA/ICAO Code:

  AV/AVA

  Airline Type:

  Full Service Carrier

  Hub(s):

  El Dorado International Airport, El Salvador International Airport

  Year Founded:

  1919

  Alliance:

  Star Alliance

  Airline Group:

  Avianca Group

  CEO:

  Adrian Neuhauser

  Country:

  Colombia

  Region:

  South America

On Thursday, Avianca and ITA Airways announced the launch of a new codeshare agreement between both companies, guaranteeing connections through London Heathrow International Airport (LHR) and Miami International Airport (MIA), two of the hubs where the two carriers coincide.

The new partnership

Avianca and the Italian flag carrier ITA Airways announced the launch of a codeshare agreement allowing customers to travel between Bogota (BOG), Cali (CLO), Medellín (MDE), and Rome (FCO) or vice versa, connecting through London or Miami with a single ticket on flights marketed and operated jointly by the two operators.

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This new codeshare agreement will begin on October 31. The passengers of the South American airline will be able to connect roundtrip between Bogota and Rome via London. Likewise, the customers from the Italian airline will be able to travel roundtrip from Rome to several Colombian cities connecting in Miami. Moreover, once in Colombia, they will be able to fly in one of the 125 routes Avianca currently offers to 24 countries, mainly in the Americas.

In the past, one of Avianca’s branches (the now defunct Avianca Brasil) had a codeshare agreement with ITA Airways' ancestor, Alitalia. Avianca currently has codeshare agreements with 20 airlines (including ITA Airways), according to the company’s website. Avianca is also a member of the Star Alliance.

Strengthened connectivity

Codeshare agreements allow airlines to offer many more destinations than they actually serve. Passengers get an additional offer with a wider choice of destinations. When two carriers codeshare, it also makes booking, check-in, luggage handling, traveling, and scheduling more convenient. Julio Ordóñez, Avianca’s Director of Alliances, said,

“At Avianca, we continue to promote international connectivity, offering our customers multiple travel options to fly to the main destinations in the world in a simple and efficient manner.”

He added that with this codeshare, the South American airline expects to transport, together with ITA Airways, close to 1,000 additional passengers between Colombia and Rome per year, boosting tourism and business between both countries. “With this codeshare, we offer another option to further enhance connectivity between Latin America and Europe.”

Meanwhile, Andreas Benassi, Chief of Network, Fleet, and Alliances at ITA Airways, said that this collaboration with Avianca will allow the company to take its passengers to Colombia thanks to flights connecting with Bogota. “With this new agreement, ITA Airways’ codeshare agreements rise to 30, a very important result achieved by the company in just 12 months,” he added.

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ITA Airways connectivity

In the last year, ITA Airways have grown strongly. The Italian airline currently has a fleet of 76 aircraft, including eight Airbus A330-200s, six A350-900s, and one Boeing 777-200(ER) for long-haul operations. ITA Airways currently serves six destinations in the Americas. It flies to Boston (BOS, six times a week), Buenos Aires (EZE, once daily), São Paulo (GRU, once daily), New York (JFK, three flights daily), Los Angeles (LAX, once daily), and Miami (MIA, once daily). In Europe, ITA Airways serves 38 destinations. The airline operates around four daily flights to London Heathrow, serving two routes, from Rome and Milan.

Are you excited about this new codeshare agreement between Avianca and ITA Airways? Let us know in the comments below.