• ITA Airways Airbus A330 in sky
    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

The new Italian flag carrier with the unanimously admired livery is looking to more futuristic options than the inherited aircraft from Alitalia currently in its fleet. ITA Airways has a substantial order for Airbus A220 and A320neo aircraft, along with expected widebody deliveries of both A330neos and A350-900s. More than that, the European aerospace manufacturer and the new airline have announced their intent to collaborate on the development of urban air mobility (UAM) in Italy.

Launching emissions-free air travel in Italy

As announced on Wednesday, the two parties have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to "explore the creation of tailored UAM services, by identifying strategic use cases for emission-free mobility solutions." They hope to onboard additional national mobility partners in order to launch the planemaker's CityAirbus NextGen electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. They will also identify pilot cases to demonstrate added value for communities and foster acceptance of UAM.

ITA Airways Airbus A330-202 EI-EJO
Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying

Customer-centric, innovative, and sustainable

ITA has now been traversing the skies for a little over six months. While struggling to hold the ubiquitous low-cost carriers at bay on its home turf, there has been plenty of commotion surrounding the airline's potential new ownership. Regardless, the newly minted flag carrier is looking to usher in a new era of zero-emission short-range mobility. Alfredo Altavilla, Chairman of ITA Airways, said in a statement,

“The partnership between ITA Airways and Airbus started with the evolution toward more modern, more comfortable and environmentally-friendly commercial aircraft, equipped with cutting-edge technologies. With this agreement, our partnership expands to the segment of urban air mobility for a wider, customer-centric, innovative and sustainable offer for our customers.”

Airbus' contribution to the forthcoming UAM market is the CityAirBus NextGen. It is all-electric and designed to carry up to four passengers. The fixed-wing 'multicopter' concept still under development will have an 80-km range and a cruise speed of 120 km/h. Its unique distributed propulsion system features eight electric-powered propellers.

Guillaume Faury, Airbus Chief Executive Officer, shared the following statement in regards to the intended partnership with ITA,

“This agreement is testimony to the strong relationship between Airbus and ITA Airways. It is an opportunity to leverage our shared ambition – pioneering sustainable aerospace – and advance new air mobility solutions for zero-emission vertical flight in support of our cities and communities later this decade.”

First flight coming next year

Airbus first revealed its eVTOL prototype in September last year, following nearly 250 ground and test flights with the Vahana and CityAirbus demonstrators covering around 1,000 km total, as well as test flights with a subscale model. The actual CityAirbus NextGen prototype's first flight is planned for 2023.

The manufacturer has reached a number of partnerships to help bring its eVTOL contribution to market. Spirit AeroSystems will develop the wings, Thales and Diehl Aerospace will develop the flight control computers through a trilateral agreement, and The Helicopter Company will introduce urban air mobility in Saudi Arabia.

Which is your favorite eVTOL concept so far? Why? Leave a comment below and let us know.