Meridiana becomes Air Italy

Italian airline Meridiana has unveiled its new Air Italy branding, alongside plans for rapid expansion, reports Business Traveller.

The Air Italy name was previously used by a subsidiary of Meridiana, but will now be the brand for the group as a whole, with a new livery similar in colour to that of Lufthansa subsidiary Eurowings.

The new branding was unveiled by Akbar Al Baker, CEO of Qatar Airways which acquired a 49 per cent share in Meridiana in 2016.

It is understood the new Air Italy will increase its fleet to some 50 aircraft in the coming years, by leasing B737 Max 8, A330 and B787 aircraft from Qatar Airways.

These will enable Air Italy to rapidly expand its network of domestic and international services, as it aims to compete with legacy flag carrier Alitalia.

The carrier is set to launch regular flights from Milan Malpensa to New York JFK and Miami this year.