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Air Italy will launch Milan-Chicago flights on May 14, a month after the carrier begins California service.
The announcement comes amid protests from U.S. network airlines that accuse Air Italy of being a proxy for 49% owner Qatar Airways.
Air Italy will fly three times per week between O’Hare and Milan. With the route’s launch, the carrier will fly from its Milan hub to five U.S. cities. Air Italy announced San Francisco and Los Angeles service two weeks ago. The carrier began flying to New York and Miami over the summer.
United, American and Delta are accusing Qatar Airways of using Air Italy as an indirect means to fly one-stop service into the U.S. from its Doha hub. The U.S. Big Three have carried on a vocal campaign in recent years to curtail U.S. flying by Qatar, Emirates and Etihad, which they accuse of accepting state subsidies, a violation of international aviation agreements.
Last January, in response to U.S. government pressure, the nation of Qatar pledged that Qatar Airways would begin issuing annual, externally audited financial reports. Separately, Qatar Airways gave verbal assurance that it had no plans to add indirect flights to the U.S.
Such flights, however, are allowed under the 2001 open skies air treaty between the U.S. and Qatar.
Source: travelweekly.com
