Delta Air Lines And ITA Apply For Codeshare Authorizations

Simple Flying

By Jay Singh

Published Nov 24, 2021

Delta Air Lines Airbus A330-300 aircraft as seen on a final approach landing at Amsterdam Schiphol International Airport AMS EHAM in The Netherlands on 16 October 2019. The Airbus A333 airplane has 2x PW PW4168A jet engines. ETOPS and the registration N821NW. Delta connects the Dutch capital via Transatlantic long haul flights and wide-body airliners to Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, Minneapolis St. Paul, New York JFK, Orlando, Portland OR, Salt Lake City, Seattle Tacoma, Los Angeles and Tampa. Delta Airlines DAL DL is the second largest airline in the world by passengers carried and member of SkyTeam aviation alliance. (Photo by Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Delta Air Lines and Italy's ITA have filed for authorization with the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) to implement a codeshare partnership. The airlines highlighted a prior partnership between Delta and Alitalia as a precedent for codesharing. ITA and Delta are laying the groundwork for an expanded partnership, as ITA considers its options for strategic partners.

Delta and ITA file for codeshares

The codeshare filing with the DOT sees both airlines marketing the codeshare as a move to "reintroduce to the traveling public a broad range of high-quality flight options on routes between the United States and Italy and beyond to third countries." The two airlines have requested a blanket authorization to display codes on each carrier's respective route networks.

This is going to include Delta's flights throughout the United States and ITA's throughout Europe. The two airlines also fly long-haul flights between the US and Italy, though Delta has a larger presence in this market than ITA currently. However, the two airlines highlighted interest in adding codeshare routes to destinations outside of Europe and the United States.

ITA wants to add its code on Delta's flights to three destinations in Mexico. These are Cancun (CUN), Mexico City (MEX), and Monterrey (MTY). Delta, meanwhile, wants to put its code on ITA's flights to Cairo, Egypt (CAI), and Tunis, Tunisia (TUN). ITA does not serve any destinations in Mexico, while Delta does not fly to Egypt or Tunisia.

The Pope used to fly on chartered Alitalia aircraft, but now ITA has taken over the assignment. Photo: Getty Images

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Italy is still a key market for Delta

Delta Air Lines has traditionally maintained a strong network to Italy. Next summer, Delta will operate twice-daily flights from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Milan and Rome. Nonstop seasonal service to Rome from Boston will also return next summer, as will nonstop flights to Milan from Atlanta. Delta's seasonal flights to Venice from Atlanta and New York are also coming back.

/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Delta-Air-Lines-Boeing-767-432ER-835MH-1000x667.jpg — Italy is an important market for Delta, with several daily widebody flights scheduled next summer. Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying

Delta's partner hubs in Amsterdam and Paris are traditionally strong connecting markets for the carrier. Italy is much more of a final destination for Delta's passengers, though having onward connecting opportunities will help boost some of the airline's seat capacity in a competitive market. Delta does not serve Egypt or Tunisia, mainly relying on Air France to get its customers to those destinations.

ITA keeps its options open

ITA replaced Alitalia in the SkyTeam alliance. However, it is still looking at options for a close "Strategic Partner." With this filing, Delta appears to be a strong possibility for transatlantic flights, which could potentially lead to a joint venture in the future if ITA gets on a solid financial footing.

/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/ita-announcement-1000x1000.png — ITA is a member of the SkyTeam alliance. Photo: SkyTeam

ITA is still looking for other commercial partners. Lufthansa has long shown interest in Italy and has been highlighted as a potential option for a partnership, or perhaps an acquisition, under the Lufthansa Group brand. That would likely raise issues over Delta's codeshare plans with ITA, but ITA has yet to publicly disclose how it envisions its partnerships play out. The first step is putting codeshares in place and getting on the right financial footing.