ITA Airways will join the Japan-Europe joint venture between All Nippon Airways (ANA) and Lufthansa Group from autumn 2026, expanding connectivity between Japan, Italy and wider Europe.
The agreement will see ITA Airways become part of the joint venture, which already includes ANA, Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines and SWISS.
The move brings ITA Airways’ European network into the partnership, including domestic Italian services, routes to the Maghreb region and its daily Rome Fiumicino-Tokyo Haneda service. The move complements ANA’s existing Tokyo Haneda-Milan Malpensa route, adding a second Italian gateway to the partnership.
From autumn, customers of ANA, Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines and SWISS will be able to book ITA Airways’ daily Rome-Tokyo service and combine it with their own flights. The partnership will also provide additional connecting opportunities through Rome Fiumicino, particularly for passengers travelling between Japan and destinations in Southern Europe, the Mediterranean and North Africa.
The joint venture includes reciprocal lounge access, recognition of loyalty programmes and expanded onward connections via ANA’s domestic network in Japan.
Joerg Eberhart, Chief Executive Officer and General Manager, ITA Airways, said: “We are very proud to join the Europe Japan Joint Venture together with ANA and Lufthansa Group. This agreement represents a key milestone in the international development of ITA Airways and further strengthens the airline’s connectivity to the Asia-Pacific region, an area of major strategic importance.”
The Japan-Europe joint venture was established in 2012 by ANA and Lufthansa, with Austrian Airlines and SWISS joining in subsequent years. The partnership now offers 160 weekly long-haul flights between Japan and Europe.
