Alitalia closes Alitalia Express and Volare Airlines

Alitalia has decided to close its subsidiaries Alitalia Express and Volare Airlines. The Air Operators Certificates of both companies will be withdrawn.

Alitalia Express and Volare Airlines recently operated with a single Airbus A320 on behalf of Alitalia to preserve slots at Milan Linate airport. Both aircrafts already returned to the parent company.

Alitalia Express started operations as a regional carrier in October 1997. In December 2008, Compagnia Aerea Italiana (C.A.I.) took over Alitalia and Air One, merging the two companies together to create the „new Alitalia“. With the take over, CAI also received Alitalia Express and Air One CityLiner. The Alitalia Express brand has been phased out and the regional arm of Alitalia is now Alitalia CityLiner by rebranding Air One CityLiner. Only one Airbus A320-200 (EI-DSC) from mainline Alitalia was moved in the fleet to preserve the slots.

Volare (later Volareweb.com) was an italian lowcost carrier and part of the Volare Group. Volare operated flights from Italy to populat destinations in Europe. In November 2004 Volare suspended operations and filed for bankruptcy. The Volare Group was put up on sale by italian Government. Alitalis’s offer was the winning bid. As of 1 January 2008 Volare was the lowcost subsidiary of Alitalia. After the hub switch from Milan to Rome several flights were transfered to Volare. But with the Alita-Air One fusion these flights ceased to exist. Nowadays from Milan Malpensa Alitalia-CAI has adopted Air One as a subsidiary for low-fare flights (until autumn 2014). Only one Airbus A320 remained in the fleet to preserve the slots.

European-Aviation.net