Wednesday, July 16, 2025

In a major boost to global connectivity, Air Canada and ITA Airways have entered into a significant codeshare agreement to offer greater choice, convenience and travel options to passengers travelling between Canada, Italy and key destinations in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. With implementation scheduled from July 21, 2025, the partnership will offer connection options for passengers travelling on both airlines, enabling a smoother travel experience and more choice for leisure and business passengers. With both airlines working to enhance their service and expand their international presence, the agreement is one of several key developments for during their periods of expansion.

As part of the new codeshare agreement, Air Canada customers flying to Rome-Fiumicino will have direct access to ten additional destinations served by ITA Airways, among these cities in Italy, Israel, Africa and Albania. This presents some really thrilling opportunities for travelers to reach some of Italy’s most famous tourist destinations, such as Florence, Palermo, and Catania, as well as emerging markets in Africa and the Middle East. Conversely, ITA Airways customers flying into Toronto will be allowed to connect to ten Air Canada destination in both Canada and the U.S, including hotspots like Montreal, Vancouver, Dallas, and more.

For those who travel frequently between Italy and North America, this codeshare agreement will change everything. Italy is a leading destination in Europe for both leisure and business travel, and the new agreement will provide customers of both carriers with greater access to some of the country’s most beautiful and culturally significant regions. For example, passengers flying from Toronto or Montreal to Rome can now make a connection to Florences, Palermo or Catania, among other cities, without the hassle of independent reservations or an additional check in. And similar to the case with Italy, people from Italy will get easier connections to the Canadian and U.S. cities it’s often difficult to reach directly from smaller Italian airports.

For both carriers the joint venture agreement is seen as a strategic fit in strengthening intercontinental connectivity and offering customers greater convenience and flexibility when planning their travel schedules and itineraries. Tickets for the codeshare will be on sale from July 2025, allowing passengers to plan their future travel on the enlarged network. The world is returning to normal, and with the COVID-19 pandemic behind us, the desire for easy and seamless ways to connect is more important than it ever was and this partnership is another opportunity to help businesses do just that.

The partnership between Air Canada and ITA Airways is part of this bond that looks to be extremely promising. For Air Canada, the codeshare strengthens a value-added, well-established network of services in Italy. This summer, Air Canada offers up to thirty nine weekly non stop flights from Canada to Italy, including recently launched routes such as from Montreal to Naples, as the airline continues to strategically grow its newly launched Italian network.

For ITA Airways, the move is a significant step forward in the carrier’s overall international expansion strategy. For the Italian airline which has been building out its reach within Europe and beyond the partnership represents a critical foothold in its effort to become a bigger player in global aviation. By linking its network to the powerful presence of Air Canada in North America, ITA Airways consolidates its role as a European mainline carrier and will further develop in Canada and the U.S. markets. The agreement also fuels ITA Airways’ broader goal of adding to its footprint in North America, a key aspect of ITA Airways’ future business plan.

The strategic launch of this codeshare cooperation coincides with ITA Airways’ ongoing process to join the prestigious Star Alliance, full integration is planned for the beginning of 2026. The inclusion into the Star Alliance network will allow passengers to connect to even more destinations worldwide by utilizing various member airlines. For both Air Canada and ITA Airways, this partnership within the global Star Alliance network signals driving market trends for airlines, where customers seek ever-more connected schedules between carriers.

The two airlines would also collaborate on cross loyalty benefits as part of the codeshare agreement. That will allow frequent flyers with Air Canada’s Aeroplan program and with ITA Airways Miles&Go program to earn and redeem loyalty points on each other’s flights. The joint accumulation and redemption will enable passengers to receive more flexibility and higher value for loyal passengers, and enhance the overall travel experience.

The new codeshare partnership will enhance the connectivity and convenience for Etihad Airways, Alitalia and airberlin guests while offering more seamless travel between key markets in Italy and the Gulf region, as well as across North Africa, the Middle East and North America. ITA Airways’ current services to cities such as Cairo and Tel Aviv, and to various African destinations, will also have more convenient connecting options for customers from Canada, who will be able to reach a wider number of destinations with fewer stops and more efficient connections. This is broader connectivity that facilitates business and tourism links between these two key global regions, enhancing the travel experience for people and businesses.

In addition, Air Canada’s extensive network in North America will open up new options for customers traveling from the Mediterranean and Middle East. For instance, travelers from Tel Aviv or Cairo will have even more opportunities to connect with cities such as Montreal, Vancouver and Dallas, which will build upon the relatively formidable role of the airline in the North Americas and Europe.

So this new codeshare is not just good news for tourists, it has a commercial impact in strengthening business ties between Italy, Canada and the North American market in general. Italy and Canada boast well-developed business communities, trading and investment relations, and this agreement will facilitate travel for business people to move more easily between the two regions. Italian expatriates and those from families with ties to both regions will find it considerably easier to travel back and forth as well thanks to the increase of flight choices.

For the tourism industry, the deal offers a welcome chance to rev up travel to Italy, long one of the world’s top destinations. Millions of tourists flock to Italy each year to enjoy its rich past, its art, culture, great food, beautiful countryside and stunning coastline. By making travel to Italy faster and easier, Air Canada and ITA Airways are not only improving travel experiences on both ends but encouraging growth in the tourism industry for both regions.

This game-changing codeshare between Air Canada and ITA Airways is another important step that will redefine how passengers travel to and from North America and Europe. Through streamlined booking, more flight choices and expanded route networks between the two, Qantas and American are giving customers new reasons to travel and more reasons to do so how and when they like. Now, with full membership of Star Alliance and the introduction of joint loyalty benefits, customers can look forward to an even more integrated, seamless and rewarding travel experience in the months and years ahead. As this collaboration progresses, it holds the potential to further influence the global connectivity landscape, providing more opportunities for passengers to discover a wider range of destinations and to travel the world with increased convenience and choice.