Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, Chairman of Alitalia, summed up what was at stake at Thursday's event at Rome Fiumicino airport: "Bringing Alitalia into the 21st century in a way that meets our ambitious objectives and the market's most demanding expectations". The presence of the Italian Prime Minister, Matteo Renzi, confirmed the crucial nature of this presentation. More than just a "simple" cosmetic change - the green stripe is about to disappear from the fuselage, after embodying the company for half a century - Alitalia's new identity is driving a new dynamic within the Italian airline. Under the aegis of Etihad, its powerful shareholder, Alitalia is going to significantly improve the comfort of each of its classes, by returning to its roots. The cabin interiors will be "more elegant" and "typically Italian", drawing on the expertise of major Italian brands, such as the new Poltrona Frau leather seats in Business class and Ferragamo toiletries. In addition, Wi-Fi connectivity will be gradually rolled out on all the airline's long-haul aircraft. "The old Alitalia was a fine brand but a contested company. Now we are well on the way to witnessing the rebirth of this iconic airline, in a new era of commercial success" summed up James Hogan, Vice Chairman of Alitalia and President and Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Airways. The new Airbus A330 livery presented on Thursday will make its first flight between Rome and Abu Dhabi on 5 June, before returning to Milan.
