ITA Airways, Eberhart admits, "The choice to install clear interiors was a mistake."

On the sidelines of the press conference of ITA, at the TTG in Rimini, I was able to have coffee with theChief Executive Officer and General Manager of ITA Airways, Joerg Eberhart, and talk-without tediousness to the rest of the audience-about some aspects that honestly are of interest only to the few TFC readers who are used to travel aboard ITA's aircraft.

Our chat ranged from the fleet, cabin fittings, to the loyalty program the lounges and the treatment of HON Circle people when they fly AZ.

Next year, three new A330-900neo

Delays in aircraft delivery are atavistic; indeed, today, if ITA Airways can boast of having a fleet of more than 50 modern and brand new machines, it is only because the bankruptcy of Alitalia and the birth of the new company occurred at the height of the Covid period, the one that had grounded planes around the world, scared analysts, and forced companies to make fleet and delivery decisions.

There are those, such as Air France, Virgin Atlantic, British Airways, and many others, who had chosen to scrap- regretting it-airplanes that in hindsight would still have been largely reusable. Some decide, for example like Cathay, by speed up on deliveries taking advantage instead of those who had decided to "pause" already signed orders, and those who cancelled them at all.

In this scenario ITA Airways had managed to take on the "KM0" market its current A350-900s and to secure virtually immediate deliveries of aircraft for which today the waiting list is measured in lustriums, if not decades. And so came the A220, A330neo and A350.

A fleet renewal path that Today, on the long haul, it is almost completed, but which has been stalled for more than 12 months. No more wide-body machines have arrived, and the first news will be the three incoming planes, which with entry into service will allow the retirement of the current A330-200s, still children of the old Alitalia.

"In our model there has always been a focus on modern, efficient machines with lower maintenance costs. That is why renewing the current machines has not been considered. Three A330neo aircraft will enter service next year, so we can retire some of the older machines, but our long-haul capacity will grow by 4%."

Goodbye clear interiors

We have read, and written, about the chronic problems with the A220 engines., but not only that. The maintenance issue forces all companies, not just ITA, to make choices such as. Cannibalize some machines to have spare parts to maintain the rest of the fleet.

Specifically, the overhaul of a P&W engine that moves an A220 can take up to 12 months-obviously, at these rates, a quarter of the fleet sits idle in the pits.

Added to this, however, is the condition of even the newest and most modern machines inside. We have recounted this in our many reviews of flights on the different machines in our fleet: from such little things as the windows in the A220s, to the condition of the interior of the baby flagship, to the many seats INOP aboard wide-body machines.

From the first time I set foot aboard ITA's new machines, I always appreciated the aesthetic choice, but I immediately spoke up about the obvious critical issues that would arise-and they did.

Of course, I would not have imagined the "soundness" problems that later occurred aboard the AZ machines and that are constantly reported to me by numerous readers.

I had focused on the light-colored carpet, which soon became an indecipherable melange. And on the choice to go for clear fabric seats rather than faux leather: the former stains and does not clean easily, while the latter is more durable and easily washed.

The combination of these choices, which ITA's initial management liked so much, led to soon-to-be "unseemly" conditions, and the company finally admits its mistake and runs for cover:

"The choice was a mistake, there is no other comment that can be made. That's why we are in the process of renewing both the carpeting and the fabrics of the seats."

As far as I know, at least a couple of A320s with the new interiors would already be in service today, and as many A330neos: dark carpeting and seats of a fabric that is much easier to care for. At present, however, there is no public "proof" of this new configuration.

HON Circle, Fly and Lounge at Fiumicino.

"We know how important these passengers are," points out the CEO, who coming from the LH world knows very well how crucial it is to treat them with all possible care. It is a figure that in the history of ITA Airways has never existed, we are working on it and it will take a year before everything works and a HON passenger feels at home in Fiumicino or Linate as it happens in the other airports of the group."

Work at Fiumicino is still a while away, but the hope is that the Hangar Lounge expansion will be completed as soon as possible. Of firm dates, however, ITA Airways' number one does not want to give any at the moment:

"I wouldn't want to be late"-Eberhart concludes with a smile.

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