Qatar Airways is trying to make Air Italy the success that Etihad couldn’t make of Alitalia, beefing up the carrier it owns 49% of with new planes, routes and name. Until recently, Air Italy flew as Meridiana.
Etihad, which owned 49% of Alitalia for several years, walked away from further funding for the carrier in 2016; after several aborted attempts at renewal it is now awaiting sale or closure this fall.
Air Italy has just taken delivery on the first of 20 new 737 Max jetliners, and has plans for a fleet of 50 planes by 2022. It’s planning new long-haul routes to North America and Thailand from its base in Milan and some new routes from Rome. While it’s now Italy’s second-biggest carrier, Ryanair is still the biggest operator of Italian domestic routes.
