ITA Airways

Is ITA Airways safe?

Yes. In five years of flying ITA Airways has had no fatal accident and has not lost an aircraft, it operates under Italian and EU oversight, and its Airbus fleet averages about six years. We score it 86, close to Lufthansa, which is buying it. The points it loses come from two taxiing collisions at New York JFK, both blamed on its crews, and from a track record too short to weigh like a 20-year one.

ITA is not Alitalia

ITA Airways (Italia Trasporto Aereo) was founded by the Italian state in late 2020 and flew its first service on 15 October 2021, a day after bankrupt Alitalia stopped. It bought the Alitalia brand and the AZ flight code, so tickets look the same, and it took over part of Alitalia's fleet, slots and staff. But it is a separate company with its own air operator certificate, and Alitalia's record does not count in this score.

For context, Alitalia's last fatal accident in its own operations was in November 1990, when a DC-9 struck a hill on approach to Zurich and all 46 people on board died. In 2013 an ATR 72 flown for Alitalia by the Romanian airline Carpatair was written offHull lossAn accident in which an aircraft is destroyed or damaged beyond economic repair. People may or may not be hurt.More in the glossary at Rome Fiumicino after a hard landing in a strong crosswind; five people were seriously hurt and no one died, and the aircraft and crew were Carpatair's, not Alitalia's.

What happened at JFK?

ITA's two recorded accidents are both slow-speed ground collisions at New York JFK, and both involve the same mistake.

On 17 June 2022, the right wingtip of ITA's Airbus A330 on flight AZ611 clipped the elevator of an Air France Boeing 777 that was stopped near its gate. The ITA crew felt nothing and continued to Rome; when a controller asked about it, the pilot replied "negative". The Air France jet was ferried to Paris for repairs. The NTSB found the probable cause was "the ITA Airways flight crew's misperception of the distance" needed to pass the stopped aircraft safely.

On 2 January 2023, another ITA A330, flight AZ610 from Rome, hit the tail of an Endeavor Air CRJ900 flying for Delta that was holding on an adjoining taxiway. The CRJ's elevator and horizontal stabiliser were substantially damaged; ITA's winglet had minor damage. Again the NTSB blamed the ITA crew's incorrect judgement of the clearance. No one was hurt in either event.

These are not the accidents that kill people, but two in seven months, with the same cause, is the kind of pattern an airline's safety department should catch. We have found no similar ITA event since.

Other incidents

ITA's incident record is thin, which partly reflects a short history and partly how little Italy's investigator publishes about airline incidents. What we found:

• April 2022, over France. The crew of AZ609, an A330 from New York to Rome, did not answer Marseille controllers for several minutes while the first officer was on planned rest. Fighter jets were readied but not launched. The captain blamed a radio failure; ITA's internal investigation found that his conduct did not comply with procedures, eTurboNews reported.
• November 2023, near Rome. An A319 flying Milan Linate to Reggio Calabria lost an engine in severe turbulence at 37,000 feet and diverted to Rome Fiumicino, where it landed safely (AeroInside).

How new is the fleet?

Young and getting younger. In March 2026 ITA flew 106 Airbus aircraft, up from 52 at launch; 72% were new-generation types and the average age was 6.3 years, the company said at the ITB travel fair. Short-haul flights use A220s, A320neos and A321neos; long-haul flights use A330neos and A350s. The oldest jets are A319s and A320ceos taken over from Alitalia, which ITA plans to replace by 2030.

Many ITA aircraft carry Irish registrations (EI-), a legacy of Alitalia's leases. That does not change who oversees the airline: ENAC, Italy's civil aviation authority, certifies ITA's operations under EASA rules.

Who oversees ITA Airways?

ENAC certifies ITA within the European system run by EASA. Italy holds FAA IASAFAA IASAThe US FAA's check of whether a country's aviation regulator meets ICAO standards. Category 1 means it does; Category 2 means it does not.More in the glossary Category 1, no Italian airline is on the EU Air Safety ListEU Air Safety ListThe European Commission's list of airlines banned or restricted from flying in EU airspace because they do not meet international safety standards.More in the glossary, and ITA is IOSA-registeredIOSAThe IATA Operational Safety Audit, an international audit of an airline's safety management and operations. Every IATA member must pass it.More in the glossary as an IATA member. Italy's ANSV investigates accidents and serious incidents.

Ownership is changing. Lufthansa bought 41% of ITA in January 2025 and said in May 2026 that it would raise its stake to 90%, with closing expected in the first quarter of 2027 after European and US approval. ITA keeps its own certificate, so this page scores ITA flights only.

Flying ITA: practical points

• Expect strike days. Italian air traffic controllers and ground staff strike several times a year, usually announced in advance. Check ITA's site the week before you fly.
• Choose the A350 or A330neo on long-haul. They are the newest wide-body aircraft in the fleet; check the aircraft type when you book.
• Keep your belt fastened when seated. ITA's 2023 engine failure happened in severe turbulence over central Italy, where summer storms build quickly.

How we scored it

EU oversight with IOSAIOSAThe IATA Operational Safety Audit, an international audit of an airline's safety management and operations. Every IATA member must pass it.More in the glossary (90), a clean accident record (88) and a young Airbus fleet (88) carry the score. Two NTSB-confirmed taxi collisions hold incidents at 76. Overall 86, a point below Lufthansa and two above TAP Air Portugal. We rate confidence medium because ITA has flown for only five years and Italian incident reporting is sparse.