Alitalia cancels all flights after October 15 as national airline closes permanently

Italian airline Alitalia has announced that all flights from October 15 will be canceled.

The airline is officially shutting down, so passengers with flights booked after October 15 should read on to find out what to do next.

Why is Alitalia closing?

Italy struggled to find investors to save the bankrupt airline after it went into public administration in 2017. The situation was made worse by the pandemic which saw flights stranded around the world for months and Alitalia will now cease operations completely later this year.

In 2019, before the COVID-19 hit, the airline carried 21.3 million passengers to 81 different destinations with 3,600 flights each week. Until recently, it employed more than 10,000 people, but it is not known what will happen to them when Alitalia closes.

What if I have already booked tickets with Alitalia?

The options for passengers are a bit complicated, but it looks like you’ll be able to get on the plane or get a refund.

It is important to note that you will have the most options available if you purchased your Alitalia flights before August 24, 2021, with a ticket number starting with “055”. This is the first thing to check.

The good news is that the airline is gaining government support and it will be passed on to passengers. The Italian government has created a fund of 100 million euros to reimburse the airline’s customers. It comes after the country struck a bailout deal with the EU to start a new debt-free company that would take over its assets.

The Italian newspaper Corriere Della Sera estimates that around 250,000 people are expected to travel with Alitalia after October 15.

The company indicates that these customers will have two options: replace their flights with an equivalent Alitalia flight before that date, or receive a full refund.

In the event of a replacement of their ticket, passengers can either modify the reservation or modify the itinerary of their original journey. The new reservation involves changing your flight to a flight before October 15 but arriving at the same destination. This option is free.

It is also possible to change the destination to travel before this date or to re-route your flight. But it may incur additional charges if the price of the flights is different. If the new flight is cheaper, the price difference will not be refunded and international flights cannot be changed to domestic flights or vice versa.

Alitalia announced on social media that it would send “direct communication” to all customers with instructions. More information here.

What is Alitilia replaced by?

Alitalia is replaced by the public company ITA (Italia Trasporto Aereo) which will start selling tickets from August 26. The new airline will begin flying on October 15 after Italian civil authorities gave it the green light last week.

ITA will purchase 52 aircraft from Alitalia in addition to its airport slots and other assets. It plans to operate flights to destinations such as New York, Boston, Miami, Tokyo and many European cities from airports in Rome and Milan. The airline is expected to slowly increase its fleet to 105 aircraft by 2025.

Alitalia reservations will not be valid for ITA and to fly with the new airline, passengers will need to book through the company’s new website (not yet operational), travel agencies or airport offices.