• Delhi becomes fourth new Air Italy international MXP destination for 2018
• Delhi to be followed by Milan-Mumbai on December 13th
• New routes to India provide seamless connections from Rome, Naples, Palermo,
• Catania and Lamezia Terme all served by Air Italy via Milan

Milan, 6 December 2018 - The first direct Air Italy flight from Milan Malpensa to Delhi was inaugurated today, marking another milestone for the rapidly expanding airline with Delhi becoming the fourth new international destination of 2018 after the launches of New York, Miami and Bangkok.

Connecting seamlessly with Air Italy’s domestic service to and from Rome, Naples, Palermo, Catania, and Lamezia Terme, the new service between Milan and Delhi on an A330-200 will run three times weekly on Monday, Thursday and Saturday.

Celebrating the launch of the first IG955 flight from Milan Malpensa to Delhi, Air Italy's Chief Operating Officer, Rossen Dimitrov, thanked SEA Aeroporti di Milano and welcomed departing passengers and representatives of the media invited to participate in the traditional ribbon cutting and inaugural cake ceremony. Guests were also treated to a short yoga demonstration by yoga teacher Linda Gastadello to inspire them prior to their departure to India as the home of yoga.

Air Italy's Chief Operating Officer, Rossen Dimitrov, said: "With the inauguration of this fourth new international route of 2018 to Delhi, Air Italy is proud to open this new gateway to India. Delhi truly is a modern cosmopolitan city that is always on the move, and as the center of power, politics and commerce, it is a perfect introduction to the cultural wealth, complexities and dynamism of all that is great about India. Next week on December 13th we will also inaugurate our new triple weekly direct flight to Mumbai bringing our total number of new intercontinental routes operating from our Malpensa hub to five for 2018. 2019 will be just as dynamic for us as yesterday we announced our first two new destinations for next year, two further routes to the United States, Los Angeles and San Francisco, both commencing service in April, which will join our current services to New York and Miami."

Aldo Schmid, Aviation Marketing, Negotiations and Traffic Rights Manger of SEA, Milan Airport said: "We are very pleased to inaugurate the new flight to Delhi. This is the fourth intercontinental route opened by Air Italy since last June after New York, Miami and Bangkok from Milan Malpensa. And, from next week, it will be followed by Mumbai. These new connections to the East confirms once again the great expansion plan of Air Italy all served from their new hub here at Milan Malpensa. These flights will provide service for a clear market need to a country that is continuously growing and fit perfectly in a context, that of Malpensa in great development, with an increase of 11% in terms of passengers in 2018, which places it among the most dynamic airports in Europe.."

This new connectivity to India represents a great business opportunity for incoming tourism to Italy.

Latest Enit data reveals that 82.6% of Indian visitors stay in hotels, and in 2017 this increased by 3.3% compared to 2016 with an expenditure of 113 million euro in cultural cities. Bernabò Bocca, President of Federalberghi commented: "India is a very large tourist market. Those who travel, belong to medium to high economic classes, who focus on luxury products, from hotels to entertainment events to the choice of spectacular locations for their weddings. These travelers are extraordinarily attracted by the Italian lifestyle, by the food and wine excellence and Italian products, and these new routes will support that business growth.”

Passengers travelling to India with Air Italy will experience Air Italy’s new long-haul Airbus A330-200, which offers up to 24 seats in the exclusive Business Class cabin making it possible to fly with maximum comfort in fully lie-flat seats with signature Italian cuisine accompanied by a selection of champagnes and Italian fine wines, Wi-Fi service, an extensive inflight entertainment service and the personalized attention from its on-board staff.

The Economy Class cabin with 228 seats also provides Air Italy’s guests with highly personalized service, Wi-Fi and a wide selection of entertainment.

For the launch the new Delhi flight, special fares from Milan, Rome, Naples, Palermo, Catania and Lamezia Terme are all available on airitaly.com. To find out further details simply visit www.airitaly.com, use the Air Italy App, or contact the Call Center +39 0789 52682 or your travel agent.