ITA Airways sees great potential in Saudi aviation sector, aims to boost bilateral traffic: exec

Executive Vice President Pierfrancesco Carino

Italy’s flag carrier ITA Airways has great expectations for the Saudi aviation sector, as it aims to increase traffic between Riyadh and Rome, the airline’s Executive Vice President Pierfrancesco Carino told Argaam.

The airline also intends to leverage the demand in Saudi Arabia to visit Italy and connect with other destinations in Europe, North America and South America, he said.

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The carrier seeks to boost demand from those coming to Saudi Arabia and contribute to the Saudi tourism sector through the new route. New destinations include Toronto in Canada and Chicago in the US, Carino added.

The top executive added that the aviation sector in Saudi Arabia is very dynamic, which was the reason behind the Riyadh flight to Rome, indicating that the route between the two countries is considered a key line, as it connects two major cities.

The new route will further serve business movement, in and cultural exchange between the two countries, he explained.

Carino also indicated that Rome is considered a major hub for ITA, noting that the company works to attract investors and tourists from its various destinations around the world (16 in Italy, 26 in Europe and the Mediterranean, and 15 transcontinental ones, especially in North America and South America), thus contributing to the aviation sector in Saudi Arabia.

According to data available on Argaam, the Air Connectivity Program announced last February to cooperate with ITA Airways to launch new routes, linking Rome to Riyadh and Jeddah. Flights to Riyadh began in May 2024, while flights to Jeddah will begin in August 2024.