More ITA connections between Italy and Japan
ITA Airways will enter the Europe-Japan Joint Venture between Lufthansa Group and All Nippon Airways from autumn 2026. The agreement, signed on June 7 during the IATA Annual General Meeting in Rio de Janeiro, marks a new step in the path of integration of the Italian company within the Lufthansa Group.
The entry of ITA Airways expands cooperation between Europe and Japan, including the company's Italian and European network, domestic routes in Italy, connections to the Maghreb and the daily intercontinental flight between Rome Fiumicino and Tokyo Haneda. The route adds to the connection already operated by All Nippon Airways (ANA) between Tokyo Haneda Airport and Milan Malpensa, strengthening Italy's role in travel flows between Japan and Europe.
For passengers, the novelty means more possibilities for booking and combining flights. From autumn 2026, ITA Airways' Rome-Tokyo connection will also be able to be booked by ANA, Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines and SWISS customers, with a joint offer that will be introduced progressively.
The Rome Fiumicino hub will play a central role in the new configuration of the joint venture. Thanks to the federation flights operated by ITA Airways to Rome, Travellers to and from Japan will be able to count on more efficient connections to Italy, Southern Europe, the Mediterranean and North Africa. At the same time, ANA will offer ITA Airways passengers new opportunities to continue from Tokyo Haneda to its domestic network in Japan.
The agreement also provides benefits related to the travel experience. Passengers will be able to access the lounges of the companies involved in Rome and Tokyo and take advantage of the mutual recognition of tickets and loyalty programs.
The Europe-Japan Joint Venture was initiated in 2012 by Lufthansa and ANA, with the subsequent entry of SWISS and Austrian Airlines. The antitrust authorization for ITA Airways' membership was granted by the Japanese authorities in recent weeks. With the entry of ITA Airways, passengers will have access to a wider system of connections between Tokyo Haneda and the main hubs of the Lufthansa Group, as well as Rome Fiumicino. Overall, the joint venture currently offers 160 long-haul flights per week between Europe and Japan.
Flights to Tokyo from Fiumicino and Malpensa to Tokyo detail
The ITA Airways Rome Fiumicino-Tokyo Haneda flight is operated daily with Airbus A350-900. The departure from Rome is scheduled at 14:55 with arrival in Tokyo Haneda at 10:25 the following day, while the return flight leaves Tokyo at 12:40 and arrives in Rome at 14:55.
ANA will continue to operate the Tokyo Haneda-Milan Malpensa connection with Boeing 787-9. The flight departs Tokyo at 22:45 and arrives in Milan at 07:10 the following day, while the return takes off from Milan at 11:20 and lands in Tokyo at 07:15 the following day
