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ITA Airways: Does the Paint Chosen for the Livery Weigh too Much?

According to the estimates of Italian newspaper Domani, the metallic blue paint chosen for the new Italian flag carrier, ITA Airways, weighs more than a white livery, resulting in a greater waste of fuel.

The Italian newspaper Domani revealed that the metallic blue livery chosen for the planes of the newborn ITA Airways weighs up to 300 kg more per aircraft due to the use of mica to obtain the metallic effect. This would result in a greater waste of fuel, a greater impact on the environment and a competitive handicap, as fuel consumption has become the first item to be cut down to reduce costs and increase profit margins. According to the newspaper, the top management of ITA admitted the inconvenience. However, according to the technicians of the new airline risen from the ashes of Alitalia, the additional weight of the mica blue paint would be of maximum 120 kg. In addition to the weight problem, the choice of this livery could also entail higher maintenance costs. Particularly in the belly of the aircraft, where small leaks of hydraulic oil often occur, it is easy for the paint to get damaged. However, some industry experts argue that the controversy is not justified. In particular, analyst Gregory Alegi, journalist and lecturer active in the aerospace field for over 35 years, declared to newspaper La Stampa: “If ITA had chosen the white livery of the old Alitalia, someone would have stigmatized the lack of imagination. I see a bit of bad faith in these excessive criticisms that tend to be made of ITA. Counter-proof: when the white plane with the words ‘Born in 2021’ was presented, I did not hear praises for the ecological value of that choice”. The analyst adds that “in the recent past, Alitalia had excessive scruples on fuel saving, so much so that pilots criticized the company

for the practical management difficulties that this policy entailed. So, let’s not point our finger at ITA as major polluter only because the chosen paint weighs a little bit more”. On the fact – cited by many critics – that most airlines opt for a lighter, easier-to-maintain white livery, Alegi notes: “Colour other than white is an unusual but not extravagant choice. For example, KLM has a blue livery and is not the only airline that opted for a colour other than white. As for why white predominates, in my opinion the real reason is that if you take or return leased aircrafts, having white as the base colour of almost all operators is the simplest solution to change the livery of an aircraft with the minimum aesthetic intervention on the nacelle”.

ITA Airways

ITA Airways, operating since November 2020, is a company state-owned by the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance for the exercise of activities in the air transport sector. The company’s goal is to guarantee Italy quality connectivity both with international destinations, so as to encourage tourism and foreign trade, and within the country, also taking advantage of integrated mobility. ITA Airways was established to provide Italy with a flag carrier following the end of the extraordinary administration of Alitalia, whose brand was acquired by ITA on 14th October 2021 for 90 million euros. The first flight, which took place via an Airbus A320, departed on October 15th from Milan Linate and landed at Bari airport. The first two aircraft belonging to the new company, EI-EJN (Airbus A330) and EI-EIB (Airbus A320), have the wording “Operated by ITA” on the fuselage. The metallic blue chosen as colour was conceived as a symbol of unity, cohesion and pride for the country, being also representative of the Italian national sports teams. On the helm, the aircraft of the fleet also display the tricolour flag, the gold, white and red logo of ITA Airways and some stylized icons inspired by the national artistic heritage. ITA currently operates a fleet of 52 aircraft, however the company has already announced that by the end of 2025 the fleet is expected to grow by another 27 units. ITA Airways will initially operate with a network of 44 destinations and 59 routes, for a total of 191 flights (24 domestic and 56 international). In 2022, destinations are expected to increase by 14 units and routes by 15, to reach a total of 74 destinations and 89 routes by 2025. The company has also expressed its intention to equip itself with a more modern, technological fleet that allows it to reduce the environmental impact of operations. Hooks & CE Hooks

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