Milan, February 13, 2014 – Davide Mandaresu, Alitalia Sales Director Italy, and Laura Cavatorta, Director of Air One, presented the Alitalia Group’s summer season updates during the 2014 BIT – Trade Show for International Tourism held in Milan.

With the new summer schedule, effective March 31, the Alitalia Group will fly to 103 destinations, including 26 in Italy and 77 worldwide, serving 186 routes, with a total of more than 2361 weekly frequencies.

From the expansion of Alitalia’s network to the significant growth of Air One, the presentation highlighted Alitalia’s new business strategy for continued market share growth such as SaltaSu airfares that target dedicated travelers (families and young people) who in the past seldom chose to fly or never flew with Alitalia, new co-branding agreements allowed for a revamping of onboard services and the cover-to-content graphic redesign of Ulisse, Alitalia’s inflight magazine, to make its debut in March.

ALITALIA NEWS

Alitalia’s international and intercontinental network continues to grow with the start of the new bi-weekly direct service between Venice’s Marco Polo Airport and Tokyo’s Narita Airport, which commences on April 3, 2014. The Far East, in particular Japan, is a strategic market for Alitalia and this new flight will help to broaden the Company’s reach. Venice will be the third Italian city with service to Tokyo after Rome and Milan. Alitalia also serves Osaka from Rome Fiumicino.

On May 1, 2014, Alitalia inaugurates a new international flight between Rome Fiumicino and Skopje, Capital of Macedonia. The new flight schedule is designed to accommodate business travelers as well as Macedonians living in Italy and includes convenient connections from Macedonia to the rest of Alitalia’s international and intercontinental network.

The integration of Skopje as part of Alitalia’s network in the Balkans follows the launch of flights to Podgorica (Montenegro) and the strengthening of the Alitalia Group operations in Tirana, Albania, which the Company services from Rome, Bari and Turin (operated by Alitalia) and Milan Malpensa, Pisa, Venice, Verona and Bologna (operated by Air One Smart Carrier). Alitalia intends to further expand operations in the Balkans by introducing new connections to Zagreb (Croatia) and Pristina (Kosovo).

Beginning March 30, 2014, new international connections will operate from Milan Linate Airport to Warsaw and Prague. The Milan Linate – Warsaw flight will operate with four weekly frequencies throughout the year, while the Milan Linate – Prague flight will operate with three weekly frequencies between March 30 and October 25, 2014.

SEASONAL FLIGHTS

Effective April, seasonal flights will operate from Rome to Thessaloniki. Seasonal flights from Rome Fiumicino Airport to Los Angeles and Chicago will begin in May.

June to September service will resume:

from Rome and Milan Linate to Lampedusa and Pantelleria;
from Rome to Ibiza, Palma de Mallorca and Rhodes.
July to September service will resume from Rome to Trapani and from Naples to Olbia.

New summer routes will operate in August:

from Milan Malpensa to Ibiza;
from Milan Linate to Athens, Copenhagen, Thessaloniki and Heraklion;
from Rome to Menorca, to Mykonos and Heraklion.
INCREASED FREQUENCIES

With the Football World Cup starting in June 2014, Alitalia will increase service to Brazil by adding a flight from Rome to Rio de Janeiro, for a total of 6 weekly flights. Additionally, thanks to the agreement with Brazilian carrier GOL – Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes, Alitalia provides passengers and fans from Italy with convenient connections to cities in Brazil hosting World Cup matches held from June 12 to July 13, 2014. Passengers travelling to Rio de Janeiro or Sao Paulo can connect to 17 domestic destinations in Brazil served by GOL including: Aracaju, Belo Horizonte, Brasilia, Congonhas, Cuiaba, Curitiba, Florianopolis, Goiania, Iguazu Falls, Maceio, Manaus, Natal, Navegantes, Porto Alegre, Recife, Salvador de Bahia and Vitoria.

Alitalia also increases flight frequencies to Japan for the summer 2014 season with the introduction of an additional flight between Milan Malpensa and Tokyo Narita, for a total of 5 weekly flights.

The Italian domestic market will also see increased service with 11 weekly frequencies between Cagliari and Rome Fiumicino, 55 weekly frequencies between Cagliari – Milan Linate and 21 weekly frequencies between Alghero – Milan Linate.

7 additional weekly frequencies will also operate between Milan Linate – Brindisi, 3 additional weekly frequencies between Milan Linate – Comiso and 3 additional weekly frequencies between Rome Fiumicino – Bologna.

AIR ONE SHOWS SIGNIFICANT GROWTH

During the BIT press conference, Laura Cavatorta, Director of Air One, highlighted the Carrier’s summer 2014 updates. Air One’s network will operate to 32 destinations including 20 international and 12 national routes, with 226 weekly frequencies, growing over summer 2013.

During the summer season, Air One assumes an important role by capturing untapped market share to/from targeted areas within Italy to European destinations. In particular Sicily, where Air One will increase its presence by end of March at two of its operational bases: Catania and Palermo, the latter featuring special offers for summer 2014 travel. With 5 of 10 aircraft home-based at the two Sicilian cities, Air One will serve 29 domestic and international routes to/from Catania and Palermo (20 destination served from Catania and 9 from Palermo).

From Catania, Air One will increase its offer by 34% and serve 6 domestic destinations (Milan Malpensa, Pisa, Venice, Verona, Turin and Bologna) and 14 international destinations (Amsterdam, Berlin, Dusseldorf, Kiev, Lyon, London, Paris, Prague, Stuttgart, Vienna, Krasnodar, Rostov, Moscow and St. Petersburg).

From Palermo, Air One will fly to 3 domestic destinations (Turin, Venice and Verona) and 6 international destinations (Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, London, Moscow and St. Petersburg).

Another new feature of the Air One’ summer 2014 offer is the new operational base in Verona with one aircraft based and dedicated to serve 3 domestic destinations (Catania, Palermo and a new one that will go on sale shortly) and 3 international destination (Barcelona, Tirana and in the coming weeks another international destination, currently being finalized).

Other bases served by Air One this summer include:

Venice with flights to 4 domestic destinations including Catania, Cagliari, Palermo and Lamezia Terme and 8 international destinations including Athens, Copenhagen, Ibiza, Prague, Tirana, Samara, St. Petersburg and Moscow;
Pisa, with 2 domestic flights to Catania and Olbia and 6 international flights to Palma de Mallorca, Prague, Berlin, Tirana, Moscow and St. Petersburg.

Milan Malpensa with 1 domestic flight to Catania and 1 international flight to Tirana.

Air One offers the largest number of connections between Italy and Albania, with direct flights to Tirana from Milan Malpensa, Pisa, Bologna, Venice and Verona. Effective March 1, Air One will also offer new flights from Genoa to Tirana.

Summer 2014 also brings a growing presence of Air One with service to Russia featuring direct flights from Catania, Palermo, Pisa and Venice to Moscow and St. Petersburg, from Catania to Krasnodar and Rostov and from Venice to Samara.

Air One will participate for the second time in the "Sicilia d’Inverno 2014” (Sicily Winter 2014) project, promoted by SAC (Società Aeroporto Catania) in collaboration with the Chambers of Commerce of Catania, Ragusa and Siracusa. In an effort to increase Italian domestic traffic and tourism, the project showcases the history and culture of these Sicilian cities and their provinces along with favorable airfare pricing packages offered by Air One.

THE SUCCESSFUL TREND OF SALTASU FARES FOR YOUNG TRAVELERS AND FAMILIES CONTINUES

Alitalia Summer 2014 specially priced sale fares, SaltaSu are dedicated to specific categories of consumers as well as last minute travelers.

Alitalia has successfully gained market share with the introduction of SaltaSu airfares. Over 300,000 young people travelled on Alitalia from June 2013 to date with SaltaSu fares, while from October to date, more than 110,000 passengers flew Alitalia with the SaltaSu Family fares. The international destinations preferred by SaltaSu customers are: Madrid, Barcelona, Malaga, Valencia, Bilbao, Cairo, London, Vienna, Athens and Malta. Also noteworthy are Tirana and Bucharest, which are developing as family travel destinations from Italy. In Italy the preferred destinations are Sicily (Catania and Palermo), Calabria (Lamezia Terme), followed by Puglia, Campania and Piemonte.

NEW ALITALIA LIVERY DEDICATED TO THE FRIULI VENEZIA GIULIA REGION

After 17 years an Alitalia’ special livery takes wing. The Company will dedicate an Airbus A319 in its fleet to the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region.

The A319 aircraft with the new special livery “Discover Friuli Venezia Giulia” will fly for one year in Italy and to touristic international destinations. This brand new livery is especially dedicated to the Humming bird, a specimen who lives in Friuli Venezia Giulia, the solely region in the world where the last colony of these birds lives outside their natural habitat. Friuli Venezia Giulia is the only Region in Italy and worldwide to take care of the study and breeding of Humming birds, that nowdays are threatened with extinction.

This initiative is part of the project “Alitalia per l’Italia” (Alitalia for Italy) which is aimed at delivering the Italian excellence worldwide and accompanying the international tourism to visit the beauty of art, landscape and food and wine of the Italian territory. Alitalia wants to become the world ambassador of Made in Italy.

FRANCIACORTA, EXCELLENCE OF MADE IN ITALY WINES, IN CO-MARKETING WITH ALITALIA

The Alitalia’s summer schedule presentation was celebrated with Franciacorta, Ambassador of the Made in Italy Wines, which are being served in Alitalia’s Magnifica Class on long haul flights since January 2014. In 1995, Franciacorta was the first Italian wine produced using the second fermentation in the bottle method to have obtained the Denomination of Controlled and Guaranteed Origin (DOCG).

The partnership between Alitalia and Franciacorta is an excellent example of co-Marketing benefits. Alitalia is able to provide customers with a superb Italian experience, and Franciacorta has the unique opportunity to directly market its product to Magnifica Class consumers and communicate methods of production and wine characteristics, while also promoting the region via Alitalia Mediaservice. A specially designed label has been created exclusively for Alitalia’s Magnifica Class cellar, expressing the elegance and passion of the world renowned Made in Italy product.

“ULISSE”, THE GATEWAY OF ALITALIA MEDIASERVICE

During the press conference, Giuseppe Ferrarini, Alitalia Vice President of Sales Advertising, Sponsorship Services and Co-Marketing, unveiled Alitalia’s newly redesigned inflight monthly magazine “Ulisse”, that will be introduced onboard Alitalia flights in March 2014 with a new look and richer content.

Ulisse is one of the communication tools used by the Division Mediaservice that, since June 2013, is responsible to identify and introduce innovative communication formulas to market.

With more than 2 million passengers per month and more than 5 million members, Alitalia aims to be an innovative and effective communication medium capable of intercepting his audience in an original and effective way.

With this new kind of communication, Alitalia’s passengers can choose high value and tailormade products and services, while waiting, throughout the experience of travel and in the course of different situations: on the web at time of booking or getting informations; in airports; inside vip lounges and onboard flights.