ITA Airways paid just under 100 million euro for the branding of Alitalia last fall as it launched in the wake of the bankrupt Italian flag carrier. It then shelved the brand, introducing a new livery and plan to expand with a clean slate. Reports out of Italy, however, suggest the plan is due to change once again.

The Alitalia brand is ready to return to the skies.

ITA Airways, the public company that took the place of Alitalia and bought the historic brand for 90 million euros last October, will revive the brand, the president of the newco Alfredo Altavilla confirmed during the hearing at the Transport Commission of the Chamber. The final decision will be taken by the Board of Directors on January 31st.

“We have always intended to use the brand to integrate it into the commercial offer,” Altavilla explained to officials.

Specific details on how the brand shall return remain unclear.

Alitalia Airbus A320
© Eris Salard

Analogies offered by Altavilla to the EuroWings or Transavia brands might be interpreted to suggest a separate, low cost operation formed to use one of the brands. But that is not the intention, at least not now.

The Board of Directors is expected to finalize the branding plans by the end of the month.

ITA Airways recorded a negative Ebit equal to -170 million euros from the start of operations (15 October) to the end of the year.

In the two and a half months of 2021, ITA’s revenues amounted to 86 million euros: 76.6 million from passenger transport, 9.4 million euros from cargo.