The new Ita Airways lands in London to recover all Italian emigrants. In the United Kingdomthe first target of the new national airline, born on the ashes of the old one Alitalia – of which he also took the logo, many aircraft still in use, including the livery, and the common shareholder Ministry of Economy 100% waiting for a possible sale – it’s the market for expat.
The large niche of emigrants
Of the 700 thousand Italians estimated to live in the UK, around half live in Londonwhere ITA flies from Milan and Rome: it is a potential pool of 350 thousand customers that ITA aims to bring on board, when they want to go back to their mother. “Choose us to go home” is the slogan launched by Piefrancesco Carino, deputy general manager with responsibility for the international market. In reality, the national airline, formerly Alitalia, now ITA, has never stopped flying to the United Kingdom. From October 15, the day of its debut, after the shutdown of Alitalia, the newborn company had maintained a connection between London and Rome.
But the inevitable interruption between the end of the old company and the birth of the new one, caused a loss of ground and customers: there is a market to recover. Andrew Bunnvery British head of ITA in the United Kingdom but with an Italian passion for the company, rattled off the numbers at the first presentation of ITA in London since it was born: in seven months, the company chaired by Alfredo Altavilla got back on its feet 90 weekly flights on the English capital, with 5 daily flights to Milan and 2 to Rome. An abundant offer to compete against the colossus British Airways and against the aggressive ones Easyjet e Ryanair. As it was before the collapse of Alitalia.
The slot node
Despite the numerous continuities between the two carriers, a major element of disruption, in London, there was: the slots, the landing and take-off times, which at Heathrow especially they are very rare and precious commodities, they are now owned. The defunct Alitalia, those on the English capital, highly coveted, had sold them, with a controversial operation in conflict of interest, to Etihad, when the Emirati company took over 49% of the carrier from CAI’s “brave captains”. After the collapse, with Alitalia commissioned (and the property returned to the government), the paradox was created: every time an Alitalia plane landed in London, it was Etihad who collected. Then, the last joke: the Abu Dhabi flag carrier had taken back the slots and left the new ITA on the ground.
Cucinelli & Chef, the Italian style on board
The marketing weapons presented are two Alitalia classics of the past: the charm of uniforms (now designed by the king of cashmere Brunello Cucinelli), a theme that is very popular with the media but has no influence on travelers; and the quality ofgastronomic offer on board, this one has always been a great wild card in the company’s pocket. More substantial, and industrially attractive, is the new fleet: aircraft Airbus with reduced environmental impact (on average a 25% less emissions than other companies) which make ITA one of the “greenest” companies in Europe. However, there is not only the national clientele to recover: ITA also wants to attract British tourists. The company is the only one that can, to compatriots and foreigners, the (alleged) advantage of hubs of Rome and Milan. From the two stopovers, it covers 62 destinations in the world and the main Italian cities, Sicily and Sardinia included, speaking of tourism. If on the rich niche of professionals, especially those who gravitate to Canary Wharf, ITA actually has an advantage, with its widespread network in Italy, on the clientele who travel for pleasure, it is less attractive, from the United Kingdom: low-cost companies have direct connections between dozens of Italian and English cities, without having to stop over. , as instead ITA obliges. At the moment, however, Carino has ruled out expanding connections with Great Britain: ITA will focus only on London.