ITA Airways Sets Final Airbus A330-200 Flight For New Year’s Eve
ITA Airways will retire its last Airbus A330-200 on December 31, closing the chapter on the final first-generation A330 still flying in the carrier’s colors. The farewell service will be AZ615 from Boston (BOS) to Rome Fiumicino (FCO)—a red-eye departure that lands back in Rome on the morning of January 1.
The Last A330-200: EI-EJH
The aircraft operating ITA’s final A330-200 flight is EI-EJH, a 15-year-old A330-202. It is also the last widebody inherited from Alitalia still active in ITA’s fleet.
Before the Boston farewell, EI-EJH is scheduled to complete a final sequence of missions:
Read our stories in your inbox
Two aviation newsletters. Zero fluff.
-
A Delhi (DEL) rotation, followed by
-
A trip to New York (JFK) and back,
-
Then the final BOS–FCO crossing on December 31.
A Fleet Era Ends
ITA has flown the A330-200 since launching operations in October 2021, initially relying on inherited airframes and leases while gradually transitioning to newer widebodies.
In total, ITA operated eight former Alitalia A330-200s on lease. As of now:
-
Three are still technically on lease to ITA,
-
Two are parked at Rome Fiumicino,
-
One remains in active service (EI-EJH) through the end-of-year retirement flight.
The other five aircraft have already dispersed—stored, dismantled, or placed with new operators. Reported outcomes include one moving to Hi Fly Malta, another to Awesome Cargo in Mexico, and one being broken up at St. Athan in 2023. Two additional airframes are stored in Amman (AMM) and Abu Dhabi (AUH).
Where The Remaining Jets Could Go Next
Several of the remaining aircraft—EI-EJG, EI-EJH, EI-EJM, and EI-EJP, along with the frame stored in Amman—are expected to be returned to lessors and are slated to join Azul in the coming months.
Azul’s interest is tied to fleet reshaping, with second-hand A330-200s potentially replacing A330-900 aircraft as certain leases approach expiration. There has also been discussion that these aircraft could ultimately be operated elsewhere within the broader Abra Group structure, depending on final allocation.
ITA’s Long-Haul Plan: A330neo And A350
With the A330-200’s exit, ITA’s widebody fleet strategy becomes cleaner and more modern:
-
Airbus A330-900 as the backbone (with 12 in the fleet and five on order), and
-
Airbus A350-900 for long-haul growth (with six in service).
Bottom Line
ITA’s final A330-200 flight on December 31 is more than just a retirement—it’s the last operational link to Alitalia’s inherited widebody era. From January 2026 onward, ITA’s long-haul story will be firmly centered on the A330neo and A350.
Keep reading FlyMag
Get the Daily Brief in the morning or the Route Watch weekly recap on Fridays. Or both.
