ITA Airways has announced a new service to New Delhi coming this winter. Italy's flag carrier will launch flights to the Indian capital on December 3rd as part of a thrice-weekly service out of Rome.
Starting on December 3rd, ITA Airways passengers will be able to fly direct to New Delhi and explore the wonders of India's capital city. The airline will operate a non-stop service between Rome Fiumicino Airport (FCO) and Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) three times a week with an Airbus A330-200.
ITA Airways said,
"New Delhi is not simply the capital of India, it is a unique place where the mix of cultures, colors, and traditions make it so fascinating that it is one of the most popular tourist destinations for those who love a journey of discovery. Are you ready for India? Our flights depart from December 3rd; run to pack your bags!"
The outbound service will operate on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, while the inbound service, an early morning flight at 03:50 local time, will run on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. ITA notes that the route is still subject to government authorization.
The full schedule is as follows:
The New Delhi service will be operated by ITA's fleet of Airbus A330-200 aircraft, offering seating for 256 passengers - 219 in economy, 17 in premium economy and 20 in business class.
Simple Flying took a look at the ITA Airways fleet in 2022, noting that ITA has eight Airbus A330-200s in its fleet. The carrier launched with seven A330s and added another one in April 2022, all of which were inherited from Alitalia.
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This will be the first time ITA Airways serves an Indian destination since its launch in October 2021. The exciting city of New Delhi will bolster the Italian carrier's growing long-haul network, which will also see the addition of Tokyo and the Maldives by the end of the year.
ITA Airways' predecessor, Alitalia, used to serve New Delhi after launching services in 2017. India's capital ranked as the most popular destination in the country for foreign tourists before the pandemic, attracting over 3.5 million travelers 2019. New Delhi narrowly edged out Mumbai and Chennai, both of which also topped 3.5 million visitors.
By the time it launches its New Delhi service, ITA Airways could already be under new ownership depending on the progress of its sale. As Simple Flying reported this week, Italy is in exclusive negotiations with Air France-KLM and Delta over the sale of ITA Airways, with a preliminary agreement on the cards as early as next week.
Are you interested in traveling to New Delhi with ITA Airways? Have you traveled long-haul with ITA before? Let us know in the comments.