All the new 'blue' and 'blue' of ITA Airways: who's in and who's out (but will be made up)
Want to know if your favorite champion has an ITA Airways plane with his or her name on the fuselage? Here are the names and reasons for the choice
ITA Airways
SkyTeam
ITA Airways is, in Europe, among the companies that is growing its fleet at the fastest pace. And with the arrival of the new airplanes, the company has begun to 'retire' some of the older ones it had 'inherited' in October 2021 from Alitalia.
In this article:
Thus, the entry into service of an increasing number of A220 and A320neo, allowed The release of 5 Airbus A319ceo and 8 A320ceo On short and medium haul. While on the long haul, one of the old A330-200s was retired against the delivery of the first five A330-900s.
As readers of The Flight Club are well aware, at the beginning of its adventure ITA decided to Naming its planes after the champions and champions (the "azzurri" and "azzurre") who have made Italian sports great: a perfect choice for the blue livery of its planes.
The first four blues had been chosen by the company itself, naming them Two A319s to Pietro Mennea and Gino Bartali and two A320s to Fausto Coppi and Paolo Rossi. Then, the stunt: a contest which asked passengers for whom the present and future planes in the fleet should be named. From the result of that contest, ITA Airways has 'fished out' over the past two years the names by which it has christened its aircraft.
But, with the start of 'retirements' of older aircraft, even some sportsmen have been 'retired': this is the case of Gigi Riva, Alberto Tomba and Giacomo Agostini, for which as many Airbus A320ceo aircraft were named that left the fleet between January and October 2023. The retirement of five A319s from service between September and November 2023, resulting from the entry into service of an increasing number of A220-300s and A220-100s, was 'painless, in this respect, because the retired aircraft were not named after any sportsman, since they had remained in Alitalia livery. So is the only A330-200 so far sent to the attic thanks to the arrival of the brand new A330-900neo.
The company's policy in this regard includes. The 'recovery' of names associated with aircraft taken out of the fleet on aircraft that will be put into service in the future. To the super champion of alpine skiing Alberto Tomba, for example, was entitled one of the new A320neo entered the fleet in recent weeks.
In the meantime, however, the list of blue and blue women who have the honor of having a plane from the 'national' airline dedicated to them continues to grow. At the end of June we had written that there were 49 planes 'with the name', out of a fleet that numbered 70 aircraft. Six months later, the planes that wear ITA's livery have become 82, of which 67 are named after as many Italian sports champions.
Compared to last June's list, As of mid-December, there are 18 'new entries'. Here, aircraft type by aircraft type, who are the new ITA Airways blue and blue men and women..
From 8 Airbus A220-300 in the fleet, three continue to be in White livery with the words 'Born to be sustainable', while the others were dedicated to the kickboxing champion Alexander Campaign, to former Inter footballer Sandro Mazzola, to former Fiorentina soccer player (who tragically passed away in March 2018). Davide Astori, to the Olympic windsurfing champion. Alessandra Sensini and to the former swimmer (and first world champion of Italian swimming) George Lamberti; the two A220-100 so far entered the fleet bear the names of former world long jump champion Fiona May And to the historical footballer of the Italian national team Joseph Meazza.
Turning to the A320neo, the new names (added from July onward) are those of former basketball players Carlton Meyers, Gianluca Basile and Antonello Riva, by former Olympic luge champion. Armin Zoeggeler, of the former Milan and national team player. Franco Baresi and former Olympic cross-country skiing champion Manuela Di Centa.
The latest in terms of models brought online by ITA is the luxurious Airbus A321 set up in three classes. Of the nine ordered, the first entered service a few weeks ago under the name of former Olympic swimming champion Maximilian Rosolino.
Turning to the long haul fleet, the 'new entries' on the fuselages of Airbus A330-900s are those of former basketball player and current national basketball coach Gianmarco Pozzecco, of former world champion and now volleyball coach Lorenzo Bernardi and former swimmer and Paralympic champion, Luca Pancalli. The sixth unit, dedicated to the former motocross world champion, will enter service in a few days, Antonio Caroli.
Four more A330-900s are expected to join the fleet in the coming weeks, along with two more A220-100s and as many A321neo aircraft. Who will be the new 'chosen ones' of blue sport to put wings on?
