ITA Airways begins daily Rome-Dubai service

Italian carrier ITA Airways this week launched a new daily service between Rome Fiumicino airport and Dubai as part of its winter schedule.

The new direct route, first announced in June, has been described as a “milestone” as the carrier looks to expand its network in the Middle East.

Emiliana Limosani, ITA Airways chief commercial officer, said: “As the first major addition to our winter schedule, this new daily route will enhance tourism and trade between Italy and the United Arab Emirates, a strategic market not only for point-to-point travel but also for connecting to other domestic, international, and intercontinental destinations.”

The route is serviced by the carrier’s Airbus A321neo aircraft, which features 12 seats in both business and premium economy cabins and 141 economy seats.

Daily flights depart Rome at 10:40 and arrive in Dubai at 19:50. Return flights from the UAE city depart at 1:50 and arrive in the Italian capital at 6:00.

The carrier, which was recently acquired by the Lufthansa Group, has been steadily expanding its network and will operate 23 international and 15 intercontinental routes this winter. This includes a new five-times-weekly direct connection to Bangkok from 16 November; marking the airline’s debut in Thailand.