What does the 2026 ITA Airways agreement change for pilots?

The ITA Airways company agreement of July 2026 raises the total pay package (TEC) by 30% at the average level, according to the FIT-CISL union. For pilots and cabin crew it also brings a more favourable calculation of the thirteenth and fourteenth monthly payments, a higher employer pension contribution, health cover for the whole family and a one-off payment of 1,500 to 4,500 euros depending on job grade. The national airline agreement runs until 31 December 2027 and the ITA Airways company agreement until 31 December 2028.1

What figures exist for captain and first officer pay at ITA Airways?

The most recent per-rank figures found are union simulations from October 2021, published by Startmag, based on the company rules ITA Airways applied at its launch. With an average of 60 flight hours a month, a captain would receive 6,217 euros gross a month, against 12,534 euros at Alitalia. A pilot below captain rank would receive 3,598 euros gross a month, 55% less than the 8,027 euros at Alitalia. The simulations used average values and did not take seniority into account, and pay rises with more flight hours. On the same 60-hour basis, the unions put a captain at easyJet at 12,000 euros gross a month and at Ryanair at 11,500 euros.10

How has pilot pay changed since 2023?

In February 2023 the ITA Airways board approved an average pay rise of 30% for pilots, cabin crew and ground staff; for pilots this meant 38% on the minimum pay scales, applying 15 months after hiring, according to QuiFinanza. An increase in the daily allowance on international flights from 46 to 51 euros was also planned. In December 2025 the unions, including the pilots' association Anpac, called a 24-hour strike for 16 February 2026 and asked for double-digit pay rises, while the company said reaching operating break-even came first, Sky TG24 reported. Under the agreement reached in July 2026, flight crew pay scales rise by 3% in September 2026, 4% in 2027 and 5% in 2028, according to Sky TG24. The one-off payment ranges from 1,480 euros for ground staff up to 4,500 euros for captains. Air Journal noted on 7 July 2026 that the draft still had to go to the ITA Airways board and be ratified by staff meetings.11121314

What allowances and leave do ITA Airways pilots get?

The July 2026 agreement changes the daily allowance from an hourly to a daily basis: 47 euros for domestic flights, 56 euros for international flights and 77 euros for North America, Canada, Paris and London, according to Sky TG24. Annual leave rises to up to 30 days, with steps linked to age, and health cover is extended to the whole family. At the launch in 2021, the company rules gave flight crew 19 days of leave a year, only 6 of them between May and September, according to the crew association Navaid quoted by Startmag.1012

How did pilot pay at ITA Airways develop before 2026?

In December 2021 the unions signed a company agreement with ITA Airways; they said it meant an increase of more than 15% in the first year compared with the rules imposed unilaterally before, rising gradually to 20% over the plan period. It also included an agreement on a variable performance bonus. That agreement expired in December 2024, and the unions, together with the pilots' association Anpac, called a 24-hour national strike at ITA Airways for 26 February 2026, according to FIT-CISL, calling the existing contract inadequate on both pay and protections. In December 2025 Sky TG24 had reported 16 February as the strike date. In January 2026 FIT-CISL also asked for serious talks on pay and career prospects.23414

Is ITA Airways hiring pilots?

In January 2026 ITA Airways management announced 500 new hires among pilots and cabin crew, together with growth of the long-haul fleet. In May 2024 the airline confirmed 90 hires for that year, both from the pool of former staff on temporary lay-off and from the market, with 60 still to be hired at the time, and said promotion takes account of experience plus technical and organisational assessments. Its pilot bases are Rome and Milan. In July 2024 a little over 2,200 former staff, pilots among them, were still waiting to return. For the 2026 hiring round, pilots join directly on a permanent contract, while cabin crew start on fixed-term contracts, according to Quotidiano di Sicilia. Experienced pilots need an Airbus A320 or A220 type rating, or at least five hundred hours on aircraft above thirty tonnes, and every operational role requires the right to work freely in the European Union. Back in November 2022, Il Sole 24 Ore reported that ITA expected about 1,250 hires in 2023, including 350 pilots.4561718

What does the Lufthansa stake mean?

Italy's economy ministry and Lufthansa signed the agreement for Lufthansa's entry into ITA Airways in May 2023. In November 2023 the unions of ITA Airways and the Lufthansa Group jointly backed the deal as a way to secure jobs and working conditions. The European Union approved Lufthansa's acquisition of 41% of ITA Airways in 2024, after which the business plan was to be reviewed in line with the strategy of the new shareholder. According to Air Journal, Lufthansa has held 90% of ITA Airways since 1 June, after exercising an option, with the rest still held by the Italian economy ministry, and full integration into the group is due from 2027.78913

Does ITA Airways train cadet pilots?

In July 2026 ITA Airways announced a new Multi Pilot Licence (MPL) programme, to train about 280 new pilots over four years, Missionline reported. The first courses start in October 2026 and last 21 months. Applicants must be at least 17, hold a secondary school diploma, have a good command of Italian and English and hold the DLR certification. Earlier, in April 2022, ITA resumed the MPL training of 52 cadets who had started in 2018 under Alitalia; according to Domani each course cost about 130 thousand euros.1516