Italy’s long-suffering flag carrier Alitalia vowed to return to profitability by 2017 via a restructuring plan that mixes cost-cutting with a new brand and a route overhaul.
New routes, new lounges and a sexier image are on tap for Alitalia, according to the plan that Alitalia announced on Tuesday.
Alitalia’s Rome base will see new service to Beijing; Mexico City; San Francisco; Seoul; and Santiago, Chile. Additional flights will be added to Chicago, New York, and Rio de Janeiro. Alitalia’s hub at Milan’s Malpensa airport will see new service to Shanghai and Tokyo.
Alitalia also pledged better food, new lounges, new crew uniforms, and a new livery as part of its revamp. Those customer-facing changes “seek to capture and embody the essence of Italy,” Alitalia says.
A timeline for the changes was not provided, and the carrier hasn’t revealed what its new branding might look like.
