ITA Airways says goodbye to SkyTeam: transition to Star Alliance begins May 1

Tomorrow, April 30, 2025, will mark the end of an era for ITA Airways: Italian airline will officially leave SkyTeam alliance, paving the way for its future entry into Star Alliance, expected no earlier than 2026. A decision announced months ago, but still represents a momentous change for the Italian and European air transport landscape. In this article we briefly review the history of airline alliances, the link between Alitalia/ITA and SkyTeam, and finally what Star Alliance means for the future of the tricolor carrier.

A brief history of aviation alliances

Global airline alliances Were created in response to the growing complexity and competitiveness of the airline industry since the 1990s. The goal was-and still is-to offer passengers a larger global network, with shared benefits such as mutual recognition of loyalty programs, lounge access, interline tickets, and better connections.

To date there are three major global air alliances:

• Star Alliance - Founded in 1997, it is the largest in terms of number of members and destinations served
• SkyTeam - established in 2000, which includes companies such as Air France-KLM, Delta and Korean Air
• Oneworld - founded in 1999, includes British Airways, American Airlines and Qatar Airways, among others.

Alliances allow companies of different nationalities to cooperate and passengers to feel "at home" even when flying with a carrier on the other side of the world.

Alitalia, ITA Airways and SkyTeam: a long love story (and some turbulence)

The relationship between the Italian carrier and SkyTeam began in 2001, when Alitalia joined the alliance led by Air France and Delta. For two decades, Alitalia operated within SkyTeam, and for many this was also one of the reasons why the former Italian carrier never really got off the ground.

With the birth of ITA Airways In 2021, the new company temporarily inherited the place left vacant by Alitalia within SkyTeam. However, from the first months of operation it was clear that the goal was something else: To find a strong industrial partner and a different alliance to really relaunch in the international market.

In 2023, the announcement: Lufthansa will acquire a minority stake in ITA Airways and will lead the Italian carrier in its entry into Star Alliance, thus sanctioning the final exit from SkyTeam by April 30, 2025. And so it will be.

Star Alliance: the new home of ITA Airways (but not before 2026)

ITA Airways will not join Star Alliance immediately. Despite ongoing close cooperation with Lufthansa and early operational synergies already visible (such as the future integration of the Flying program with Miles & More), the official entry into the alliance led by United, Singapore Airlines and ANA will take place not before 2026. Mandatory choice given the complexity of an operation that For the passenger is a logo on the fuselage or a little more, while for companies it is like changing operating systems and expecting to use iOS on a PC.

Star Alliance in numbers:

• 26 member airlines
• +1,200 airports served in more than 180 countries
• +760 million passengers carried each year
• 1,000 lounges around the world
• Founded in 1997, is the largest and oldest aviation alliance

For ITA Airways passengers, joining Star Alliance represents a total change. New partners, new hubs, new partners. Lufthansa Group is one of the pillars of the alliance not to mention the potential boost on intercontinental routes through cooperation with ANA (Japan), United (U.S.) and Singapore Airlines (Southeast Asia).

Underway a true mash-up of alliances

It is not only ITA Airways that is changing teams, but in the next 12 to 18 months, the dynamics, and even the weights, could be significantly different than they are today. Skyteam earned SAS Scandinavian as of September 2024, but as said he will lose ITA, he lost Czech who stopped flying and there always remains the unknown Aeroflot, suspended because of the war in Ukraine . Similarly, Star Alliance will welcome the Italian company, but after losing SAS Scandinavian Will soon say goodbye to Asiana destined to merge with Korean.

oneWorld remains the most active at this time with the entries of Oman Air in early summer, those already confirmed of Fiji and Hawaiian, and the likely entry of Starlux.

In conclusion

Exit from SkyTeam marks the final end of a cycle, the one that began with Alitalia more than 20 years ago. For ITA Airways, a new phase is opening, with the goal of finally becoming a sustainable airline that is well established in the global context. The move to Star Alliance-and especially the official entry into the Lufthansa world-will be crucial to the Italian carrier's future success.

The countdown to 2026 has begun. And we at The Flight Club, as always, will be following it closely.