ITA Airways Gets Green Light from Star Alliance to Join in 2026

ITA Airways’ departure from SkyTeam had already been announced two months ago. The plan and intention were, since day one of Lufthansa taking a stake in the Italian carrier, to have the carrier join Star Alliance. Now, a substantial first step has been taken that opens the doors to this alliance shift by the Italian airline.

Green Light from Star Alliance: Entry Process Begins for ITA Airways

The first substantial step toward joining the new alliance for ITA Airways comes from the Star Alliance board of directors. Just this morning, the board decided – it was expected that all this would happen quite rapidly – that the ITA Airways onboarding could move forward “full steam ahead”.

Lufthansa will guide the Italian flag carrier in the integration process into the new ecosystem, as the leading company of both the alliance and the Lufthansa Group. The Star Alliance board, together with ITA Airways, expects to complete the company’s membership by early 2026.

In early 2026, ITA Airways is expected to officially join the Star Alliance network as a full member. The decision by our Chief Executive Board underscores the strong confidence our members have in ITA Airways. As a gateway for Italy, its addition strengthens our global network, offering seamless and connected journeys to more travellers worldwide.

Star Alliance Chief Executive Officer Theo Panagiotoulias

ITA Airways will become the main Star Alliance carrier in Southern Europe and a strategic asset for the alliance for travelers headed to Italy. ITA operates over 360 daily flights that will synergize with those of other Star Alliance companies.

I am proud that ITA Airways will become the fifth hub airline of the Lufthansa Group to join Star Alliance. As the mentor of the membership process, we will do our utmost to ensure a smooth and swift integration. ITA Airways’ future membership will provide Star Alliance customers with many new opportunities for personalised travel planning. I am confident that ITA Airways will be an excellent addition to the Star Alliance portfolio.

Dieter Vranckx, Chief Commercial Officer of the Lufthansa Group

Next Steps for ITA Until Joining Star Alliance in 2026

From here on, the integration of the Italian flag carrier into Star Alliance begins in earnest. All agreements that will allow seamless connections and travel under a single reservation with other alliance carriers must be established. Similarly, agreements for mutual recognition of frequent flyer program benefits will need to be arranged.

All nitty gritty things that might not sound interesting at this moment but are of foundational importance to enable smooth travel across the Star Alliance network.

With ITA Airways’ entry, Star Alliance will once again have 26 members. I used the wording “once again” because last year SAS, a founding member of the alliance, took the opposite path to ITA by joining SkyTeam bringing members temporarily down to 25.