Air Canada Wants The United States To Approve ITA Codeshare Between Canada & US

Air Canada has requested the Department of Transportation (DOT) to approve a codeshare agreement with ITA Airways, which would enable the Italian airline’s passengers to explore additional options when traveling between the European Union (EU) and North America. The Canadian carrier requested approval for an indefinite period of time.

The request came months after Lufthansa Group, Air Canada’s partner in Star Alliance, finalized the acquisition of a 41% minority stake in ITA Airways and began integrating the Italian airline into its operations, including intra-group codeshare agreements. The German airline group, Air Canada, and United Airlines are also part of the A++ transatlantic joint venture (JV).

In a DOT filing, Air Canada requested that the Department approve the Canadian carrier to display ITA Airways’ AZ designator code on its flights from any airport in Canada to any airport in the United States, which would enable both airlines to “offer additional service options to ITA passengers traveling between the EU and North America."

The Canadian carrier noted that both airlines have recently entered into a codeshare agreement which includes US airports, allowing Air Canada to display ITA Airways' designator code on specific flights between Canada and the US. However, Air Canada asked the DOT to approve the codeshare on its current and future itineraries to the US, as well as for any flights that are operated by its affiliates marketing departures under the AC designator code, such as Air Canada Rouge.

“Air Canada wishes to implement this codeshare service as soon as possible and respectfully requests expedited approval of this Application. Air Canada requests that the statement of authorization be granted for an indefinite period, consistent with Department precedent, as long as the Air Canada – ITA codeshare agreement remains in effect.”

In its application, Air Canada stated that initially, it would display ITA Airways’ designator code on flights from Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) to Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport (FLL), and Orlando International Airport (MCO).

Data from the aviation analytics company Cirium’s Diio Mi airline planning tool showed that in June, out of the four aforementioned US airports, ITA Airways only serves Boston. It also has daily departures from Rome Leonardo da Vinci Fiumicino Airport (FCO) to Toronto-Pearson, as well as six other destinations in the US, totaling eight routes from Italy to North America.

Air Canada argued that the DOT’s approval would be in the public’s interest, with the airline citing the Department’s previous statements about the US’ Open Skies agreements with Canada and the EU: “Increased international codesharing and other cooperative arrangements can benefit consumers by increasing international service options and enhancing competition between carriers, particularly for traffic to or from cities behind major gateways.”

ITA Airways Inching Closer To Full Integration Into The Lufthansa Group

Since Lufthansa Group acquired a minority stake in ITA Airways, which includes an option to buy out the remaining shares held by the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance (Ministero dell'Economia e delle Finanze, MEF), the Germany-based airline group has been working to integrate the Italian airline into its operations.

This includes closer alignment with Star Alliance, which ITA Airways should join sometime in early 2026. In April, just a few weeks before its official exit from SkyTeam, Star Alliance announced that its Chief Executive Board (CEB) had approved the Italian carrier’s integration process into the alliance, which is expected to be done in early 2026. “ITA Airways will add 360 daily flights to the Alliance network, further strengthening the Alliance’s footprint in the European region,” Star Alliance said.

On June 11, Lufthansa Group announced that starting July 1, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Lufthansa, and Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) customers would be able to book ITA Airways’ long-haul flights in a single booking. The group said that following the initial network of several long-haul codeshare destinations, additional flights to Africa and Asia would be added to their codeshare agreement.