ROME- ITA Airways (AZ), the Italian carrier, announces a new nonstop flight between Rome Fiumicino (FCO) and Dubai (DXB), starting daily on October 27th.
This new route marks ITA Airways’ first addition for the upcoming 2024/2025 winter season.
ITA Airways Rome to Dubai
“The launch of this Rome-Dubai flight is a significant step in our company’s growth,” said Antonino Turicchi, President of ITA Airways.
He further said, “In the first four months of 2024, we achieved positive results beyond expectations, carrying over 5 million passengers—a 29% increase from last year—and generating 38% more revenue compared to the same period in 2023. This growth was driven by the intercontinental sector, which saw over 50% revenue growth.”
“Our average load factor reached 78%, with peaks of 82% in the intercontinental segment, more than offsetting a slight reduction in average prices. The outlook for the summer season is also promising, with a projected 25% increase in passenger numbers compared to last year. From January to April 2024, our operations maintained a 99.9% regularity and achieved an on-time arrival rate of approximately 85% within 15 minutes,” added Turicchi.
He also said “These achievements enable us to invest in the company’s development with two main goals: to become a key player in air transport and the national economy and to provide Italy with a carrier with solid prospects. The new Rome-Dubai connection aims to boost tourism and trade between Italy and the United Arab Emirates.”
Flight Schedule
The new flight will be available for purchase next week across all of the Company’s channels. It will operate daily with the following schedule:
- Rome Fiumicino to Dubai: Starting October 27th, departing at 10:40 a.m. (local time) and arriving in Dubai at 7:50 p.m. (local time).
- Dubai to Rome Fiumicino: Starting October 28th, departing at 1:50 a.m. (local time) and arriving in Rome at 6:00 a.m. (local time).
Furthermore, this new Rome-Dubai flight is a significant milestone for ITA Airways, expanding its network to include the strategic market of the United Arab Emirates.
The route caters to point-to-point traffic and allows customers to connect to various domestic, international, and intercontinental destinations from Rome Fiumicino airport, thus serving both leisure and business travelers.
Dubai, a global hub for business and leisure tourism, is now more accessible with this nonstop flight, highlighting ITA Airways’ commitment to offering optimal travel solutions and emphasizing the importance of intercontinental network development in its business strategy.
Airbus A321neo to Serve the Route
To ensure an exceptional travel experience, the new flights will be operated with the state-of-the-art Airbus A321neo, known for its outstanding range and performance. Efficient and quiet, the A321neo features over 20% lower fuel consumption.
It is the first narrow-body aircraft configured with three separate cabins: Business Class (12 seats), Premium Economy (12 seats), and Economy (141 seats, including 12 Comfort Economy seats).
The A321neo also boasts an Airspace Cabin with new colors and materials, the latest generation of seats, ITA Airways customized interior lighting, and XL overhead bins. Each seat is equipped with the latest entertainment system, featuring “on-demand” video and audio, with 17.3″ screens in Business, 15.6″ screens in Premium Economy, and 13.3″ screens in Economy, all offering low reflectivity and 4K resolution touchscreens for a smooth and intuitive user experience.
In the current summer season, ITA Airways operates 57 destinations, including 16 domestic, 26 international, and 15 intercontinental routes. The company has recently launched new direct flights from Rome Fiumicino to Chicago (April 2024) and Toronto (May 2024).
Upcoming nonstop flights from Rome include Riyadh on June 2nd, Accra on June 6th, Dakar and Kuwait City in July, and Jeddah in August 2024.
Expert Analysis
Behramjee Ghadially, a route planning expert shared the insights on upcoming FCO-DXB route.
The point-to-point (p2p) traffic between Rome Fiumicino (FCO) and Dubai (DXB) has been strong and consistent over the years. The trend in round-trip passengers is as follows:
- 2016: 177K
- 2018: 180K
- 2019: 184K
- 2023: 127K (a significant drop post-COVID)
In comparison, the demand trend for DXB-Milan (MXP)-DXB p2p traffic was:
- 2016: 197K
- 2018: 225K
- 2019: 243K
- 2023: 195K (also experienced a drop post-COVID like FCO)
The average fare on the DXB-MXP-DXB route was 23% higher than FCO, primarily due to more premium passengers traveling to and from MXP.
For ITA Airways, launching the DXB route with the A321neo was a strategic commercial decision compared to using an A339 or A359. This approach minimizes risk and effectively supports the westbound network.
ITA’s A321neos feature fully flat beds in business class, which is crucial for attracting J-class passengers to and from Dubai on Europe-bound flights.
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