TA Airways, Italy’s new national carrier, has taken delivery of its first A350, becoming the 40th operator of the type. The aircraft, which is on lease from ALAFCO, landed for the first time in Italy at Rome Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci International Airport on Wednesday evening. ITA Airways’ A350 cabin is configured in a two-class layout, with 334 seats comprising 33 full lie-flat bed Business and 301 Economy seats.

ITA Airways’ A350 will start operations early June 2022 to serve the new intercontinental routes that the company will open in the summer season from Rome Fiumicino to Los Angeles, Buenos Aires and Sao Paulo.

In December 2021, the Italian carrier firmed up an order for 28 Airbus, including 18 Single Aisle (seven A220s, 11 A320neos) and 10 A330neos, the latest version of the most popular A330 widebody airliner. Moreover, ITA Airways already leased more than 50 additional new generation Airbus aircraft, six of which are A350s, to complement their fleet modernisation.

The Airbus A350’s clean-sheet design features state-of-the-art aerodynamics, fuselage and wings made of advanced materials, plus the most fuel-efficient Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines. Together, these latest technologies translate into unrivalled levels of operational efficiency and sustainability for ITA Airways, with a 25% reduction in fuel-burn and CO2 emissions compared to previous generation aircraft.