Ita Airways says goodbye to Milan-New York. Here's who could take its place
The Milan-New York to which ITA Airways will bid farewell on January 8 is one of the world's 'busiest' routes. [...]
United Airlines
Neos Air
La Compagnie
ITA Airways
Emirates
Delta
American Airlines
Star Alliance
SkyTeam
Oneworld
MXP
United States of America
The Milan-New York whose ITA Airways will bid farewell next Jan. 8 è One of the most 'crowded' routes in the world. Not in terms of daily or weekly frequencies (in that Milan is far surpassed by several cities, including, just staying in Europe, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, and Rome itself), but in terms of the airlines that serve it.
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Before Norwegian low-cost Norse landed in London, Milan was the city in the world with the most carriers engaged on a route to the Big Apple, as many as seven. The group includes, in addition to the Italian 'national' airline, the American Delta Airlines, United Airlines and American Airlines, Emirates, the French all-business La Compagnie and the very Italian Neos. A huddle that would not disfigure at the Giro d'Italia.
Five of these companies fly to JFK airport.: ITA (until, indeed, January 8), Delta, American, Emirates and Neos. Two about the Newark airport, located across the Hudson in the state of New Jersey: United and La Compagnie.
All fly wide-body aircraft, with the exception of The Compagnie, which uses an Airbus A321LR (Long Range) in an all-business configuration with 76 seats that convert into comfortable beds.
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Among the others, the one that offered an edge product a step (step?) above the others was Emirates, with its A380s outfitted with a luxurious First, a very large Business, and an Economy that remains probably the best in the world for service and comfort. We use the imperfect because, since last Oct. 29, the Gulf airline (which operated the Milan-New York in continuation of one of its two daily connections from Dubai) replaced the Superjumbo with a Boeing 777-300ER, which especially in Economy is a far less 'special' aircraft than the A380.
Downgrade during the winter season is a 'normal' thing on many long-haul routes. But never in the ten years since the route opened had Emirates implemented it. And the B777 looks set to remain even with the return of the winter schedule next March, assuming ITA's farewell to New York (if also confirmed for summer 2024) does not prompt Emirates to put the A380 back on the route to the Big Apple.
Also Neos might decide, in that case, to increase the three weekly frequencies with which it now connects the Lombard metropolis to JFK. The Italian airline uses on the route its Boeing 787-9 outfitted in premium economy and economy, without a Business Class cabin on board.
American's are ... American. That is, nothing special either in terms of aircraft used (Milan is certainly not a 'top of the line' destination for them) or in terms of on-board products. The winter downgrade involved not only Emirates but also. United, which in the winter months has replaced on Malpensa-Newark the 'summer' Boeing 777-200ER with a smaller (and older) Boeing 767-300.
Delta maintained on JFK theAirbus A330-300 used over the past summer and configured in three classes of service. And its Delta One is, arguably, the finest Business cabin among those offered by the Stars and Stripes carriers on the route. Including the one that American Airlines makes available to its premium customers every day on board its Boeing 777-200ER.
The question that can be legitimately asked is: Will someone fill the 'hole' left by ITA Airways, and if so, who? It should be noted that the Italian airline flies to New York with a 256-seat A330-200 total, including 20 in Business, 21 in Premium Economy and 219 in Economy. They make almost 1,800 places a week and over 90,000 a year Who 'break free'.
A situation that is likely to prompt the six carriers already operating on the route to increase weekly frequencies or bring more capacious machines on line. But which, just as likely, makes the Milan destination particularly attractive to a fourth American airline, that JetBlue which is rapidly expanding its transatlantic network from New York and Boston, and that after London, Paris and Amsterdam has now expressed its intention to 'open up' Dublin and Lisbon.
Its Airbus A321LRs, configured in two classes with a 24-suite Business in a 1+1 configuration (very similar to those installed by ITA Airways on its new A321neo) and 114 seats in Economy, have sufficient range to serve NY from the Lombard capital. That will be largely within the reach of the A321XLR (Extra Long Range) aircraft that JetBlue has ordered in 14 examples and is expected to be delivered to them starting in 2024.
