ITA Joins Lufthansa and ANA in Expanded Europe–Asia Joint Venture

A strategic expansion of the long‑running Europe–Japan joint venture between Lufthansa Group and All Nippon Airways is set to reshape travel between Europe and Asia, as ITA Airways prepares to join the partnership from autumn 2026 and deepen cooperation across five interconnected airlines.

A Five-Airline Network Linking Europe and Japan

According to published announcements from the carriers, ITA Airways will be added to the existing Europe–Japan joint venture formed by All Nippon Airways, Lufthansa, SWISS and Austrian Airlines, creating a five-airline network focused on traffic between Japan and key European gateways. The move builds on a decade of cooperation between the original partners, which have coordinated schedules and fares on routes linking Tokyo, Osaka and other Japanese cities with major European hubs.

The expanded structure is designed to function as a single commercial platform on Europe–Japan routes, with participating airlines aligning timetables, pricing and fare combinability. Publicly available information indicates that travelers will be able to mix and match carriers on a single itinerary more easily, for example flying from Japan to Europe on ANA and returning via ITA or another Lufthansa Group airline.

Reports indicate that ITA’s integration into the joint venture follows Lufthansa Group’s staged acquisition of the Italian carrier and its gradual alignment with the group’s network, product and alliance strategy. ITA has already increased coordination with Lufthansa Group airlines through codeshares and terminal co-location, paving the way for deeper cooperation on long-haul services.

The Europe–Japan joint venture is one of several long-haul partnerships used by ANA and Lufthansa Group to stitch together global coverage. By adding ITA’s growing intercontinental network to the platform, the partners aim to capture more traffic flows between Japan, Southern Europe and beyond.

Rome Fiumicino Becomes a Southern Gateway to Asia

A central element of the announcement is the elevation of Rome Fiumicino as a southern hub for Europe–Asia travel. ITA Airways already operates nonstop service between Rome and Tokyo Haneda, and the joint venture partners plan to build additional connections over the Italian capital by aligning schedules and expanding codeshare coverage across Europe and North Africa.

Publicly available information from the airlines highlights shorter and more frequent links between Japan and Europe via Rome, positioning Fiumicino alongside Frankfurt, Munich, Vienna and Zurich as a key transfer point within the combined network. For travelers starting in Mediterranean markets such as Italy, Spain or parts of the Maghreb, Rome could offer more direct routings to Japan compared with traditional northern hubs.

The strengthened role for Rome also reflects ITA’s strategic importance within Lufthansa Group. External analyses of the acquisition note that the Italian carrier expands the group’s reach in Southern Europe and the Mediterranean, while giving the joint venture a new geographic angle that complements existing hubs in Central Europe.

For Japanese travelers, the Rome connection is expected to make it easier to reach popular leisure destinations in Italy and neighboring countries with a single stop. Coordinated minimum connection times, shared ground handling standards and synchronized schedules are intended to reduce transit stress and cut overall journey durations.

More Frequencies, Combinable Fares and Aligned Schedules

From the passenger perspective, the most visible impact of ITA’s entry into the joint venture will be in the form of additional frequencies and more flexible itinerary options. Information published by the partners emphasizes that coordinated scheduling allows them to space departures more evenly throughout the day and week, creating denser timetables on core Europe–Japan routes.

Combinable fares are another key feature. Travelers booking through one airline are expected to gain access to itineraries that involve multiple joint venture partners on a single ticket, with harmonized fare rules and through-checked baggage. This structure can simplify complex journeys, such as a trip from Tokyo to a regional Italian city via Rome on ITA, then onward to Central or Eastern Europe on another Lufthansa Group carrier.

The partners also highlight operational synergies such as shared use of lounges, coordinated disruption handling and common service standards. While each airline maintains its own brand, cabin design and onboard service concepts, the joint venture framework is designed to ensure a relatively consistent experience across carriers, particularly in premium cabins.

Business travel is a major focus. Corporate clients in Europe and Japan are expected to benefit from a wider choice of departure times, more city pairs and unified conditions for contract discounts across the participating airlines, which can be particularly valuable for companies with offices spread across multiple markets along the Europe–Asia corridor.

Loyalty Benefits Across Star Alliance and National Programs

The joint venture expansion coincides with a broader realignment of ITA Airways within the Star Alliance ecosystem. Public information from alliance and airline sources indicates that ITA has joined Star Alliance in 2026, aligning its frequent flyer offerings more closely with those of Lufthansa, ANA and other global partners.

This change is particularly significant for regular travelers, as it is expected to allow mileage earning and redemption across the five airlines on joint venture routes under a more unified structure. Star Alliance status holders flying between Europe and Japan are set to enjoy reciprocal lounge access, priority services and additional baggage allowances when traveling on ITA-operated flights within the partnership.

Reports on the integration of ITA into Lufthansa Group also highlight ongoing work to harmonize loyalty programs, including closer links with Miles & More and tighter coordination with ANA’s Mileage Club. While specific accrual charts and redemption levels can vary by program, the overall effect for travelers is a broader set of options to use points across Europe–Asia itineraries.

For Italy-based customers, the shift brings their national carrier into the same alliance family as Lufthansa, ANA, United Airlines and Air Canada, which may make long-haul trip planning more straightforward. Travelers in Japan, meanwhile, gain an additional European partner that plugs directly into the same global network and benefit structures they already use on existing Star Alliance members.

Competitive Pressures and a Changing Europe–Asia Market

The timing of ITA’s entry into the Europe–Japan joint venture reflects intensifying competition on Europe–Asia corridors, as Middle Eastern and Asian carriers continue to expand connecting services via their own hubs. Aviation analysts note that strengthened cooperation among European and Japanese network airlines is one way to retain traffic that might otherwise shift to third-country hubs.

By pooling capacity and coordinating commercially, the five-airline platform aims to offer a broad network that can rival alternative routings in terms of convenience and connectivity. Direct flights between Europe and Japan, particularly from secondary cities, can be more attractive for time-sensitive travelers than journeys requiring two or more stops via other regions.

The addition of ITA also underscores ongoing consolidation trends in European aviation, with major groups leveraging cross-border acquisitions and joint ventures to build scale in long-haul markets. According to industry commentary, Lufthansa Group’s move to deepen its presence in Italy and tie the country’s flag carrier into a transcontinental partnership is part of a wider strategy to shore up its position against both low-cost competitors within Europe and large global rivals on intercontinental routes.

As ITA’s integration into the joint venture progresses toward the planned start in autumn 2026, travelers can expect gradual adjustments to schedules, codeshares and loyalty links. While full benefits will unfold over time, the framework signals a new phase in Europe–Asia cooperation centered on a five-airline partnership that places Rome alongside established hubs as a key bridge between Japan and Europe.