ITA Airways launches connections to Saudi Arabia New Nonstop Flight from Riyadh to Rome

Riyadh, June 3rd, 2024 - ITA Airways, the Italian reference carrier, has inaugurated its new routes to and from Saudi Arabia with the launch of its first nonstop flight Riyadh - Rome Fiumicino.

The first ITA Airways flight to operate the new route, AZ 838, arrived at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh yesterday at 9:25 pm local time. The aircraft, an Airbus A321neo, was welcomed with a water arch.

To celebrate the launch of this new intercontinental route, marking the Company's first destination in Saudi Arabia-an increasingly strategic market-a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held at the arrival gate of Terminal 3 at Riyadh Airport. The ceremony was attended by Pierfrancesco Carino, Vice President International Sales ITA Airways, Benedetto Mencaroni Poiani, Regional Manager for Asia, Middle East, and Africa ITA Airways, Valerio Cendali Pignatelli, Head of Economic & Business Affairs at the Embassy of Italy in Riyadh, Abdulaziz Al-Asaker, Chief Commercial Officer of Riyadh Airports Company, which manages King Khalid International Airport, Thamer Yousef, CEO APG Saudi - As'hal Travel and Tourism, and Ashwag Alghamdi, Regional BU Partners Director at The Saudi Tourism Authority.

The inaugural ITA Airways flight from Riyadh to Rome Fiumicino, AZ 839, departed today at 1:45 a.m.

Emiliana Limosani, Chief Commercial Officer ITA Airways and CEO of Volare, said: "We are proud to inaugurate our first nonstop flight to Riyadh and Saudi Arabia, a growing and strategic market for ITA Airways especially for business traffic. This new Riyadh - Rome connection marks a significant milestone for our Company and will intensify trade flows between the Arabian Peninsula and our Country. Our commitment to the Middle East region will continue with the introduction of new nonstop flights to Kuwait City and Jeddah in July and August, respectively."

Delighted to welcome the new route from Riyadh to Rome, Ayman AboAbah, CEO of Riyadh Airports Company which is managing King Khalid International Airport said: "This is a significant milestone in our ongoing efforts to expand our network and strengthen our connections with key global cities. We are excited to offer our passengers more travel options and look forward to welcoming travelers from Rome to discover the rich culture and hospitality of Riyadh. This new route is a testament to our commitment to providing world- class service and enhancing the travel experience for our passengers" he concluded.

"The introduction of direct connections from Rome to Riyadh in June and Jeddah in August is a crucial step in our mission to develop the tourism sector further and increase visitor numbers from Italy and beyond to Saudi. The new routes, fueled by our strong partnership with the national carrier ITA Airways, will significantly enhance accessibility and are expected to drive greater investments. This development will also strengthen the cultural and economic ties between Italy and Saudi," stated Hazim Al-Hazmi, President of Europe & Americas at The Saudi Tourism Authority.

We are delighted to welcome ITA Airways, Italy's flag carrier, as it launches direct flights between Rome and Riyadh-two key aviation hubs. ITA's entry into the Saudi market will greatly enhance our air connectivity, promote tourism between these vibrant capital cities, and attract more inbound visitors from the airline's extensive network in America. We look forward to working with our partners to offer travelers from around the world seamless and convenient access to the wonders of Saudi Arabia," said Mr. Majid Khan, CEO of the Air Connectivity Program.

The new direct connection operates five times a week, departing from Riyadh at 1:45 a.m. (local time) every day except Wednesdays and Sundays, and arriving in Rome Fiumicino at 6:35 a.m. (local time). The return flights depart from Rome Fiumicino at 3:25 p.m. (local time) every day except Tuesdays and Saturdays, arriving in Riyadh at 9:25 p.m. (local time).

The new route is operated with the technologically advanced Airbus A321neo. The A321neo is the first narrow- body aircraft configured with three separate classes: Business Class (12 seats), Premium Economy (12 seats) and Economy (141 seats, including 12 dedicated to Comfort Economy). Efficient and quiet, the new A321neo boasts more than 20% lower fuel consumption and CO2 emissions per seat, and a 50% reduction in noise impact compared to previous generation aircraft. It also features new Airspace Cabin with new colors and materials, latest-generation seats, ITA Airways' custom interior lighting, and XL overhead bins. Each seat is equipped with the latest entertainment system, featuring "on-demand" video and audio, 17.3'' (Business), 15.6'' (Premium Economy) and 13.3'' (Economy) low reflectivity and 4K resolution touchscreens for a simple, smooth and intuitive user experience.

The opening of the new Riyadh - Rome flight marks a significant milestone for the airline, establishing connections to the Arabian Peninsula. This market will soon see additional new flights, including Kuwait City - Rome Fiumicino (starting on July 1) and Jeddah - Rome Fiumicino (starting on August 1). The further expansion of routes to Accra and Dakar in Africa will bring to 57 the total number of destinations operated by ITA Airways in the current summer season, with 16 domestic, 26 international and 15 intercontinental routes. Additionally, during the summer peak, the airline will fly to 12 additional seasonal destinations, selected among the most popular Mediterranean tourism destinations, including Greece, Spain, Croatia and the Italian islands, reachable through nonstop flights from Rome Fiumicino and Milan Linate.

The flights can be purchased on ITA Airways' sales channels, via the official website www.ita-airways.com, the airline's Customer Center, travel agencies and airport ticket offices.

For press information:
Pietro Caldaroni, Head of Communication and Institutional Relations Mail: media@ita-airways.com

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ITA Airways is a company totally owned by the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance for the exercise of business in the air transport sector. ITA Airways aims at creating an efficient and innovative air carrier that will become a reference point in providing Italy with quality connectivity both in terms of international destinations, thus boosting tourism and foreign trade, and within the Country, also taking advantage of the train-air integrated mobility. ITA Airways will place the best customer service at the center of its strategy (through a strong digitization of processes that ensure a best-in-class experience and personalized services), combined with sustainability, in its environmental (new green and technologically advanced aircraft, use of sustainable fuels), social (equality and inclusion for a gender-neutral company) and governance (integration of sustainability into internal strategies and processes) aspects. ITA Airways is a member of SkyTeam alliance as of October 2021.

This release was published on openPR.