ITA May Revive SA Direct Service

ITA Airways CEO Joerg Eberhart has revealed that the airline is considering re-establishing a direct route between Italy and South Africa.

During an interview with the Italian news publication, Corriere della Sera, Eberhart outlined plans to create an extensive long-haul network from ITA’s hub, Rome Fiumicino Airport, and how a direct South Africa route could play a role in boosting connectivity and productivity.

“The Italian market is highly valuable, a mix of business and inbound tourism, strong purchasing power, and Rome Fiumicino has a geographical advantage toward South America and Africa,” said Eberhart.

To support its long-haul growth, ITA plans to increase its fleet of widebody aircraft. Eberhart explained that the carrier is also working to improve the carrier’s “waves”, peak periods when short-haul flights feed into long-haul departures from Rome.

“With more flights to the East or South Africa, we could strengthen the second and third waves. We need to grow the long-haul fleet to create stronger waves throughout the day. With stronger waves, the short-haul feeder network works better. That increases productivity,” said Eberhart.

Sustained demand

According to Carla Vickers, Owner of Italian and French Excursions, demand for travel between South Africa and Italy has showed continued resilience despite the lack of direct flights.

“My numbers for travel to Italy are up compared to pre-COVID levels. Some travellers may downscale during hard financial times by opting for a three-star hotel instead of a four-star, but there is never a low season for travel to Italy.”

Vickers has noticed strong interest in corporate team building, family and friend groups, and for travellers who want to explore the cultural and historic destinations before departing on a cruise from one of its coastal cities.

As a result, she said there was great demand for direct flights to Italy.

“Currently, the majority of my clients use connections on Ethiopian, Qatar and Turkish Airlines via Addis Ababa, Doha and Istanbul, respectively.

But, if a direct flight comes to South Africa, travellers would definitely use it.”

The history of the SA-Italy market

Alitalia, now rebranded as ITA Airways, launched direct flights between Rome and Johannesburg in 1991, before ceasing this service in 2001, resumed in April 2018 and then halted again in April 2021 due to the pandemic.

At the time, Sabrina Allcock, Director of Discover the World, which represented the airline in South Africa, told Travel News that Alitalia, now ITA Airways, would resume its Rome-Johannesburg operations when it became commercially viable to do so.