Monday, July 14, 2025

Air Canada and ITA Airways have announced a strategic codeshare partnership that enhances connectivity between Canada and Italy. The agreement allows both airlines to place their flight codes on select routes operated by the other, providing travelers with more convenient options, simplified bookings, and smoother connections.

Passengers can now enjoy single-ticket itineraries, coordinated baggage handling, and greater access to destinations across both networks—whether flying from Canadian cities like Toronto and Montreal to Rome or connecting onwards to other European and North American cities.

This partnership strengthens both airlines’ transatlantic presence, offering more flexibility and expanding travel options for tourists, business travelers, and students. The move reflects growing cooperation between global carriers and marks a major milestone in enhancing seamless international travel experiences between the two countries.

“We’re thrilled to expand our partnership with ITA Airways through our new codeshare agreement,
that complements our robust network to Italy. This deepening of ties will allow customers travelling
on Air Canada to Rome-Fiumicino to conveniently book and seamlessly connect to ten popular
destinations across Italy, Africa, Israel and Albania. Likewise, ITA Airways customers arriving in
Toronto will benefit from access to 10 key Canadian and U.S. cities across our network,”

“With work underway to facilitate its entry into Star Alliance, we are developing significant
partnership synergies. This will form the foundation for a strong, long-term relationship between
our two flag-carrying airlines”.

“The codeshare agreement with Air Canada is a great step forward for our growth strategy,” “This partnership improves connectivity
for our passengers traveling between Italy and North America, our first market beyond Italy, serving
both leisure and business travelers. Moreover, it enables us to offer seamless connections for
passengers of Italian origin residing in Canada and the United States, facilitating their journeys to
Italy and beyond, while providing them the opportunity to fully experience the excellence of Made
in Italy — a heritage that ITA Airways proudly represents as an ambassador worldwide.”

Under the agreement, Air Canada will apply its “AC” flight code to a range of ITA Airways-operated services from its Rome-Fiumicino hub. These include five prominent cities within Italy—Lamezia Terme, Palermo, Catania, Florence, and Bari—making it easier for Canadian travelers to access these culturally and historically rich destinations. Additionally, the agreement extends to strategic points in North Africa such as Cairo, Tunis, and Algiers (pending regulatory approval), along with Tirana in Albania and Tel Aviv, though flights to Tel Aviv remain temporarily suspended.

Conversely, ITA Airways will now affix its “AZ” code to select Air Canada flights departing from Toronto Pearson International Airport. These include connections to Canadian cities such as Montreal, Ottawa, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, and St. John’s, as well as onward services into the United States, covering Boston, Orlando, Dallas, and Fort Lauderdale. This reciprocal codeshare provides greater travel flexibility and expanded itinerary options for passengers originating in Europe.

Sales for codeshare tickets are now available, with the first flights set to operate starting July 21.

Beyond flight coordination, the two airlines are actively working to integrate their frequent flyer benefits. Travelers can soon expect to earn and redeem points across both networks, allowing loyalty members to enjoy broader perks, including upgrades and mileage accumulation.

Additionally, ITA Airways is progressing toward full membership in the Star Alliance network. With implementation work underway, the airline is expected to join the global alliance as a full member by early 2026—a move that will further strengthen its connectivity and benefits structure alongside Star Alliance partners like Air Canada.

This partnership complements Air Canada’s robust summer schedule to Italy. The airline is operating up to 39 weekly flights between Canada and Italy during the peak travel season, offering over 13,000 seats per week. In May, Air Canada introduced a new non-stop route between Montreal and Naples, enhancing access to southern Italy and the famed Amalfi Coast. Naples joins a growing list of Italian cities with direct Air Canada service, including Rome, Milan, and Venice.

Air Canada also offers passengers the opportunity to continue their Italian journey by rail through an intermodal partnership with Trenitalia. Travelers arriving in Italy can seamlessly connect to up to 30 additional destinations across the country via high-speed, regional, overnight, and cross-border trains.

During the summer season, ITA Airways is operating flights to 59 destinations globally, including 16 long-haul, 27 international, and 16 domestic routes. Additionally, the airline has launched 12 seasonal Mediterranean routes from Rome Fiumicino and Milan Linate, expanding access to in-demand leisure destinations.

Seasonal hotspots include the Balearic Islands (Ibiza, Majorca, Menorca), several sought-after Greek islands (Corfu, Rhodes, Heraklion, Zakynthos, Kefalonia), and Italian island gems like Lampedusa and Pantelleria. These additions enhance ITA Airways’ summer portfolio, catering to travelers seeking sun-soaked escapes.

Moreover, ITA Airways has strengthened its international reach through codeshare arrangements with five major Lufthansa Group carriers: Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, and Air Dolomiti. These partnerships enable access to over 100 additional global destinations, solidifying ITA’s position as a central player in the European and intercontinental aviation landscape.