Italia Trasporto Aereo (ITA), Italy's new national airline to replace Alitalia, will start selling flight tickets on 26 August. ITA is scheduled to launch on 15 October, having obtained its operating licence from the Italian civil aviation authority ENAC last week. At midnight last night, 24 August, Alitalia ceased selling tickets for flights departing after 15 October, the day ITA takes to the skies.

Negotiations begin on Wednesday between ITA and trade union representatives over what the company describes as “new working conditions in line with market practices", with new employment contracts to ensure "greater competitiveness and flexibility in comparison with other operators in the sector.”