Off the wire
• Lula da Silva accepts to be presidential candidate despite prison sentence  • Colombian gov't, rebels to seek new ceasefire accord  • Hollywood actor criticizes U.S. gov't for pulling out of Paris climate agreement  • Lula da Silva accepts to be presidential candidate despite prison sentence  • Colombian gov't, rebels to seek new ceasefire accord  • Hollywood actor criticizes U.S. gov't for pulling out of Paris climate agreement  • Lula da Silva accepts to be presidential candidate despite prison sentence  • Colombian gov't, rebels to seek new ceasefire accord  • Hollywood actor criticizes U.S. gov't for pulling out of Paris climate agreement  • Lula da Silva accepts to be presidential candidate despite prison sentence  
You are here: 　

Meridiana airline aims at becoming Italy's leading carrier

Xinhua,February 20, 2018 Adjust font size:

MILAN, Italy, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- Italian Meridiana airlines has changed its name and unveiled plans to become the country's leading national carrier, officials said on Monday.

The company was renamed Air Italy, is to increase its fleet to 50 aircraft and aims to attract some 10 million passengers per year by 2022, according to Chairman Francesco Violante.

Air Italy will operate its flights from Milan Malpensa airport, the major international hub in northern Italy, Violante said at the presentation of the new branding in Milan.

Headquartered in Olbia, Sardinia, Meridiana is partly owned by Qatar Airways, which bought a 49-percent stake in the company in September 2017, and by Alisarda. It is Italy's second airline company after flag carrier Alitalia, which was put under special administration after employees rejected a rescue plan last year and is currently on sale.

Air Italy plans to hire over 1,500 new staff in the next five years, according to Qatar Airways executive officer Akbar Al Baker.

"We will re-launch the airline on the European market, and we do aim at being the top carrier in Italy," Ansa news agency quoted Al Baker as saying.

Some of the new fleet will include five Airbus A330s, and 20 Boeing 787-8 aircraft, some of which are on lease from Qatar Airways, according to the executives. Previously, the Meridiana fleet consisted of Boeings 767 and Boeings 737 only, according to the company's profile.

Air Italy is to significantly enlarge its international route network as well, including new connections from Milan to Bangkok, New York and Miami, London, and Moscow, and new domestic connecting flights to the Malpensa airport from Rome, Naples, Palermo, Catania, and Lamezia Terme.

Further international routes are to be announced by the end of 2018, according to Ansa. Enditem

 

Related News & Photos