New Italian national carrier ITA Airways is to launch flights up to three times a day from London City to Milan Linate from March 28.
The announcement of the 18 flights a week follows the European Council’s recommendation that all fully vaccinated British travellers will be allowed into the European Union (EU) without pre-departure tests.
Triple-daily services, on sale now via ITA, will operate Monday-Friday, with one flight on Saturdays and two on Sundays.
London City said the route “cements tourist and business links between two of Europe’s primary financial hubs” and noted that 360,000 passengers flew between the airports in 2018, “particularly business travellers from large corporations”.
In March, London City will offer connections to 25 destinations. The airport’s busiest day so far in 2022 was February 11, when it served 6,000 passengers.
The airport is reinstating 95% of its top-performing pre-pandemic routes.
Flights to Barcelona will return for the first time in almost a decade while new routes, such as Thessaloniki, join summer favourites like Split, Mykonos and Faro for summer 2022.
London City Airport chief commercial officer, Richard Hill, said: “We’re delighted to announce the return of flights to Milan, which has historically been one of the most popular business and leisure destinations from our airport.
“Our recovery is going from strength to strength, as the sector builds back confidence after a difficult period for aviation and international travel. We’re so excited to be able to help quench passengers’ untapped thirst for travel this summer.”