New Italian flag carrier ITA Airways has signed codeshare agreements with Etihad Airways, Air France and KLM.
Its commercial partnership with United Arab Emirates-based Etihad is designed to boost business travel and tourism between the countries.
The airlines say it will offer travellers better connectivity when travelling through Rome Fiumicino, Milan Malpensa and Abu Dhabi.
Sales of the codeshare flights began on both airlines’ websites on Wednesday December 8, for travel from December 14 onwards as well as reservation systems for travel agencies.
ITA Airways will apply its AZ code on services operated by Etihad between Rome Fiumicino and Milan Malpensa and Abu Dhabi.
Etihad will codeshare AZ flights connecting Italian domestic services beyond Rome Fiumicino; to Genova, Bari, Brindisi, Catania, Palermo, all Italy, and Malta.
The airlines added that they are working to expand the scope of their cooperation “over the coming months”.
Air France-KLM has also signed a codeshare agreement with ITA Airways.
It will open up 12 ITA destinations in Italy and southern Europe for Air France and KLM customers, and destinations in Europe, including the United Kingdom and Scandinavia, for ITA customers.
Air France, KLM and ITA will facilitate transfers for passengers to connecting flights at their hubs at Paris Charles de Gaulle, Amsterdam Schiphol and Rome Fiumicino.
Customers will be able to use one ticket having checked in at their departure airport, and have their baggage checked through to their final destination.
The agreement is effective for KLM as of December 1 and for Air France as of December 9 for travel as of December 13..
Benjamin Smith, chief executive of Air France-KLM said: “We are very pleased to have reached a codeshare partnership with ITA, the latest member of the SkyTeam alliance, less than two months after its first flight.
“Italy is a key market for our group, and joining forces with the new Italian flag carrier will create more opportunities for the passengers of our respective airlines.
The destinations Air France and KLM passengers will be able to fly to with ITA via Rome Fiumicino are: Bari, Brindisi, Catania, Genoa, Palermo, Reggio Calabria, Lamezia Terme, Turin, Trieste and Venice (Italy), Valletta (Malta), and Tirana (Albania).
Subject to US Governmental Approval, the partnership will be expanded to cover US destinations served by the carriers.
Air France and KLM currently connect Paris and Amsterdam to Italy with about 350 weekly flights.