American Airlines (AA) announced its largest-ever summer program to Italy for 2025 on Friday, boosting flights to Rome and opening up new routes from cities across the United States. This announcement follows a recent expansion from both Delta Air Lines (DL) and United Airlines (UA) in Italy, demonstrating the growing importance of the US-Italy market in aviation and tourism terms.
Simultaneously, this latest move coincides with Lufthansa’s (LH) recent purchase of ITA Airways (AZ) which was approved by the European Union earlier this summer. This agreement has meant that the two airlines have to sacrifice part of their market position on the US-Italy sector.
The aviation market between the two countries is therefore evolving at a rapid pace. As the American big three push forward with more expansion, will European airlines be able to keep up? It seems unlikely. We take a look at some of the recent expansion and establish to what extent the market is growing and evolving.
American Airlines
On Friday, the American flag carrier announced plans to introduce three new routes as of next summer, listed as follows.
- Chicago O’Hare (ORD) to Naples (NAP): daily with the Boeing 787-8 as of May 6
- Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) to Venice (VCE): daily with a 787-8 as of June 5
- Miami (MIA) to Rome (FCO): daily with a Boeing 777-200 as of June 5
The carrier will also add a second daily service to its existing flight that connects Philadelphia (PHL) with FCO. These will be operated by Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 aircraft. But while American Airlines is growing, in 2024 the carrier was the fourth largest airline in the US-Italy market – behind Delta in first, flag carrier ITA Airways in second, and United Airlines in third.
Delta Air Lines
Looking at seats on offer, Delta Air Lines wins gold in 2024. Delta Air Lines has an expansive Italy-US network, which it plans to develop further next year.
In 2025, the carrier hopes to grow with four new routes starting in May 2025. These include:
- Catania (CTA) to New York (JFK)
- Naples (NAP) to Atlanta (ATL)
- Milan Malpensa (MXP) to Boston (BOS)
- Rome Fiumicino (FCO) to Minneapolis (MSP)
Capacity will increase approximately 10% compared to 2024, with 116 weekly flights on offer during the peak summer season according to Italiabsolutely.
Significant developments over the summer include the expansion of the carrier’s trunk FCO to ATL flight, which will rise to thrice daily. City-wise, Delta will be growing 6% in Rome and 22% in Milan.
United Airlines
United Airlines’ 2025 in Italy is equally as exciting. The carrier was recently in the news for a unique announcement in which it revealed plans to fly to unusual destinations such as Nuuk in Greenland and Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. It also unveiled two new connections between Washington (IAD) and Venice (VCE) and Newark (EWR) and Palermo (PMO) for next summer. The Venice route will begin on May 22, while the Palermo route is set to begin a day earlier.
In 2025, United will serve five destinations in Italy including Venice, Naples, Rome, Milan, and Palermo.
The carrier’s expansion has been characterized by a spread of destinations across Italy. It argues that this is preferable for American passengers who want to explore Italy and return from airports other than their arrival one.
In other words, customers prefer to begin their trip in Milan and return from Rome. More creatively, some might choose to land in Venice, moving across Italy and returning from Naples, for example.
In an interview with Corriere della Sera, United’s Vice President of Network Planning, Patrick Quayle, said that MXP to San Francisco (SFO) would be on the cards, potentially for 2026.
Why are the big US airlines flocking to Italy?
All three US carriers are looking to capitalize on the growing market. In an interview with Corriere della Sera, Matteo Curcio, Senior Vice President for Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and India at Delta Air Lines proposed the following reasons for why demand is growing.
“Today more than ever people want to spend to experience. The strong dollar incentivizes expansion. Currently, we have the baby boomers that have entered into their pensions with a fair bit of money and want to travel. We also have the new generation that anyways see travel as a better experience. The demand in the USA is very strong.”
Matteo Curcio, Senior Vice President for Europe, the Middle East, Africa and India at Delta Air Lines
In the Mediterranean specifically, Curcio says that a combination of factors has led to increased demand. This includes the baby boomers’ economic possibilities, as well as the climate. Finally, destination saturation (ie. when tourist hotspots become too crowded) also means people are willing to push their holidays outside the peak periods.
“This mix allows for an extension of the tourist seasons.”
Matteo Curcio, Senior Vice President for Europe, the Middle East, Africa and India at Delta Air Lines
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