ITA Applies 'Born to be Sustainable' Livery to First A220

DALLAS - ITA Airways (AZ) has added its sustainability-themed color scheme to its brand-new Airbus A220-300.

The airline said that the 'Born to be Sustainable' livery highlights the type's efficiency, improving fuel burn and CO2 emissions by 25% per seat compared to its current A320 fleet. The A220 will also operate with a noise footprint 50% lower than older airframes.

AZ will operate a total of 16 A220-300s and seven -100s. Photo: ITA Airways.

Entry into Service

Sporting a decidedly plainer colour scheme than AZs other aircraft, the jet (EI-HHI) arrived at the carrier's Rome Fiumicino (FCO) hub earlier this week. It will be placed into service on October 16, initially serving Genoa (GOA), Naples (NAP), Zurich (ZRH), and Geneva (GVA). It will later fly to Milan (LIN) and Munich (MUC).

Two further A220s will arrive by the end of the month, and four are expected to be in service by the year's end. All are leased from Air Lease Corporation (ALC).

The aircraft forms part of an order placed in December last year, which saw the Italian national carrier sign a deal with Airbus for seven A220s, 11 A320neos and ten A330neos. In total, AZ will grow its A220 fleet to 23 aircraft. This includes 16 -300s, all leased from ALC and seven -100s, which will come directly from Airbus. AZ will use the type to replace its A319s and older A320ceos, inherited from the now-defunct Alitalia.

The new color scheme is much more basic than ITA's usual eye-catching livery. Photo: Airbus

Green Credentials

AZ unveiled its first 'Born to be Sustainable' livery on its A350-900 in June. Speaking of the carrier 'green credentials,' it states, "ITA Airways was born with the ambitious aim of being one of the most ecological, inclusive and meritocracy companies in Europe. For this reason, we have included environmental, social, and governance sustainability as fundamental pillars of our Business Plan."

ITA's activities include streamlining its flight and ground operations, focusing on fuel consumption, and investing in sustainable SAF fuel to improve efficiency and reduce environmental impact. For customers a dedicated passenger experience, the use of sustainable in-flight materials, and the possibility for travelers to join programs to offset the CO2 produced by their travel are all planned for the future.

Featured Image: ITA Airways Airbus A220-300 (EI-HHI). Photo: ITA Airways