ITA Airways targets 2026 profit, seeks EU carbon-cost relief

ITA Airways is targeting a small operating profit in 2026 and further profit in 2027, even as the Lufthansa-backed carrier’s jet-fuel costs doubled this year. CEO Joerg Eberhart set out the timetable in an interview with Corriere della Sera, describing ITA as Italy’s principal airline operating under the Italian Economy Ministry alongside the Lufthansa group.

That target arrives while ITA manages a changing workforce and prepares new long-haul markets. For carriers, a small operating profit leaves little tolerance for further cost pressure after fuel costs doubled. For shippers and freight forwarders, ITA’s ability to fund routes and aircraft from that profit becomes the relevant question as capacity plans take shape.

Three linked decisions now frame the plan: containing fuel costs, securing fairer treatment under EU carbon costs and aviation taxes, and using aircraft productively across a west-east network. Those levers sit ahead of ITA’s South American expansion and its 2028-2029 Asian focus.

What does ITA need from Brussels?

Eberhart told Corriere della Sera: “The situation certainly justifies a joint request to Brussels to create a level playing field. We cannot be at a disadvantage as European companies compared with those coming from outside.” His wording made the request a sector-level issue, aimed at preventing EU airlines from carrying a competitive disadvantage against carriers from other regions.

He also argued that taxes paid by European airlines must remain available to support the sector during an emergency. Eberhart rejected the idea that airline taxpayers should finance infrastructure outside aviation, making the second part of his proposal about retaining funds within the industry.

For carriers, a level playing field changes the operating comparison between EU and non-EU airlines, while emergency access to taxes could reduce pressure on airline balance sheets during fuel shocks. For shippers, those policies can influence whether long-haul services remain financially durable, although the interview announced no change to EU taxes or a Brussels timetable.

Where does the South American expansion lead?

ITA is preparing to expand its South American network, with Caracas and Lima positioned to rival Emirates’ reported plans for Peru via Milan. The announcement therefore places ITA against Emirates’ Milan-linked South American proposition before the Italian carrier has detailed its schedules.

Adding the two named markets broadens the geography of ITA’s ambitions, but it does not establish the size of the operation. For freight forwarders, the useful signal is that South America is an immediate priority, ahead of the longer-horizon Asian plan.

For shippers, city-pair announcements can eventually change routing options and connecting opportunities. They do not, however, establish available freight capacity, flight frequency or launch dates, so forwarders cannot yet treat the routes as committed lift.

How does Lufthansa change the group equation?

Corriere della Sera also reported that Lufthansa wants to increase its ITA stake to 90%. Separately, Lufthansa has agreed with the Portuguese government to plan the acquisition of a significant stake in TAP Air Portugal.

If completed, the two transactions would deepen Lufthansa’s ownership position across ITA and TAP Air Portugal. The first would place ITA more closely within Lufthansa; the second would add another European carrier to the group’s portfolio and create a broader base for network coordination.

That broader position could affect how airlines divide long-haul markets and manage connecting traffic. For shippers and forwarders, however, the reported transactions do not provide immediate new capacity because neither comes with disclosed route, frequency or aircraft plans.

What does the workforce plan signal?

ITA plans 226 voluntary exits and 400 hires, lifting headcount by a net 174. Eberhart described the current period as a transformational phase and said the carrier’s third quarter went well.

The staffing mix signals expansion alongside restructuring rather than a simple downsizing. For carriers, the net addition can support the planned network build; for shippers and freight forwarders, headcount does not translate directly into freight capacity, but it indicates the organization preparing to support more flying.

The 400 hires will matter most if they land in operational and network roles, but the interview did not identify those positions. What can be measured today is the net addition of 174 people against 226 voluntary departures, not a promised aircraft or cargo uplift.

Where does ITA go after South America?

For 2028-2029, ITA has confirmed an Asian focus after targeting transatlantic operations. Eberhart said: “We are looking at Asia. When you build a long-haul network, one part has to go west and the other east, in order to achieve a certain productivity from the aircraft.”

The stated rationale is aircraft productivity, which carries greater weight after fuel costs doubled this year. A balanced west-east network could give shippers and forwarders broader connecting options once schedules emerge, although ITA disclosed neither aircraft assignments nor freight allocations for the Asian plan.

The sequence now moves from an immediate South American build-out to a 2028-2029 Asian commitment, with transatlantic flying as another stated target. The commercial test is whether those additions can improve network productivity enough to sustain the small 2026 operating profit and the further profit planned for 2027.

Over the next two profit cycles, the decisive variables are the cost of fuel, Brussels’s response to ITA’s joint request and the productivity of the aircraft used. The answer will determine whether announced South American routes become a durable operating platform or remain a network option without sufficient scale.