Flights Italy-USA, from Bari and Catania here are the new routes: the reason for the boom (despite geopolitical tensions)

Five new direct connections inaugurated in just three days. Thirty -seven broken in total for the whole 2025, about ten more than 2024. Otto airlines in business: three Americans, two Italians, one French, one Norwegian and one Emiratin. And seven million seats on sale this year, with a double -digit percentage leap in twelve months. The flights between Italy and the United States do not feel any crisis, at least on the side of the offer. And they are in particular two companies – Delta Air Lines and United Airlines – to bet more than others. Going further south, in Sicily, and « dividing » the two main airports: Catania and Palermo.

Programming

To list the new routes almost lost. On May 21, United Boeing 767 from Newark, one of the reference stops in New York, with destination Palermo, took off: the commands of three pilots of Sicilian origin. From the capital the jet left the next day towards the New Jersey. In the meantime, another United to Venice aircraft has taken off from Washington. Further down, on May 23, in Catania it was up to another Boeing 767, of Delta, to get in flight towards the « JFK » of the Big Apple. And Delta has always started two other aircraft, one from Minneapolis towards Rome Fiumicino and the other from Boston for Milan Malpensa. So there is American Airlines that opens Malpensa-Filadelphia and Venice-Dallas, while Neos starts Bari- « JFK ».

« The major investments »

« Italy is the transatlantic market in which we grow absolutely more in the summer of 2025, launching a total of four new routes and significantly increasing the frequency of several existing connections compared to the previous year », he says Matteo Curcio, Senior Vice President of delta for Europe, the Middle East, Africa and India. In the race to fly between Italy and the USA, Delta is first: over the whole year has put over 2 million seats for sale (in both directions), according to the data provided by the Cyrium specialized platform, with a dump of 11%.

The data

In second place, with a greater progression (+16%) and 1.6 million seats, there is United Airlines. For third place he is head -to -head between Ita Airways and American Airlines, both with about 1.3 million seats. So Emirates (who only operates Milan Malpensa-New York), Norse Atlantic (on Rome Fiumicino), Neos (on Malpensa, Palermo and Bari) and the Compagnie (Business class only carrier that flies on the Malpensa-Newark). For a total of 7.1 million seats.

The new routes

Among the new routes – which were not there in 2024 – Commandano Delta and United with four each. Delta with Catania-New York Jfk, Naples-Atlanta, Milan-Boston and Rome-Mineneapolis. United with Napoli-Chicago, Palermo-Newark, Rome-Denver and Venice-Washington (which takes the place of the connection with Chicago). Then American with Malpensa-Filadelphia and Venice-Dallas. Following Neos with Bari-New York. In 2024, according to the Department of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Protection, almost 5.8 million people flew between Italy and the USA on scheduled flights for a 2.8 billion euro market market.

« Greater propensity of the Americans »

« The transatlantic market remains very strong, and has actually been one of our most solid segments in recent years, » he says to Courier Andrew Nocella, United Airlines Chief Commercial Officer. « There was a change: US consumers represent a greater share of passengers to Europe than before the pandemic – he continues -. The European traveler was a little slower to resume traveling after the pandemic and I think he will continue for a few more years ».

Sales

In short, from the United front there are no fears about Donald Trump’s policies that seem to discourage Europeans. « At the moment, our seats are all full, and I think everything is working as it should », continues Nocella, interviewed on the sidelines of the presentation of the new carrier class of the carrier. «Input traffic in the United States is slightly falling, but the strength of the demand by US customers has been truly remarkable. This is not only valid for the transatlantic routes ».

How travelers move

But why increasingly direct routes, also towards Italian « secondary » cities? « We noticed that people arrived with us in Rome or Milan and then moved to Italy with the high speed rail or with the machine, » he explained recently to Courier Jeff Arinder, Vice President International Network Planning (deals with the planning of routes). « In the end when you offer the right time and the customer has all these options to create his own itinerary, he is enthusiastic about it. »

The various options

« We think of the new Minneapolis-Rome section-explained ARBRERD-. In the past we had to fly Minneapolis-Detroit, then Detroit-Rome, or Minneapolis-Jfk, then Jfk-Rome, or even via Paris or Amsterdam. In short: you had to always stop. Now no longer ». And the investment in Sicily? « We had a choice – he recalled -: Palermo or Catania. We both evaluated them, with their pros and cons, and in the end we opted for Catania to test the market ». Why? « On the basis of our experience, on what we see in demand models and also in business traffic to Catania ».