ITA AIRWAYS WILL REDUCE ITS FUEL CONSUMPTION AND EMISSIONS IN 2026 THANKS TO AN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE-BASED TOOL
- SITA OptiFlight® uses aircraft-specific, real-time weather data to improve climb performance and enable measurable emission reductions
ROME / GENEVA – April 23, 2026 – The optimization of climb profiles using AI will help ITA Airways, Italy’s national airline, reduce its fuel consumption. The airline has already achieved substantial reductions and is on track to save more than 7,100 tonnes of fuel and reduce its CO₂ emissions by more than 22,100 tonnes between 2025 and 2026. The airline’s innovative, data-driven approach, supported by SITA OptiFlight®, will improve its performance while generating gains and savings.
Deployed across ITA Airways’ entire fleet, SITA OptiFlight® calculates the most efficient climb profile for each flight by adjusting speed, acceleration, altitude changes, and climb Mach, using predictive analytics, machine learning, and 4D weather data for all aircraft in the fleet.
SITA OptiFlight® uses multidimensional modeling specific to each aircraft tail, ensuring precise climb profiles under varying operational and weather conditions. This approach highlights ITA Airways’ commitment to sustainability and data-driven performance.
Francesco Presicce, Chief Innovation and Strategic Projects/Vision Officer at ITA Airways, said: “At ITA Airways, we know that innovative technologies are essential to implementing our long-term growth and sustainability strategy. The deployment of SITA OptiFlight® demonstrates our commitment to equipping the company with innovative, practical, and measurable tools, while ensuring operational excellence. Data-driven insights and artificial intelligence allow us to achieve significant fuel savings and substantially reduce our emissions without compromising efficiency or safety. This initiative is part of our broader commitment to more sustainable and responsible aviation, and we are proud to be at the forefront of this transition.”
This fleet-wide deployment underscores ITA Airways’ ambition to position itself among leaders in sustainable operations.
Yann Cabaret, CEO of SITA for Aircraft, added: “The aviation sector faces the urgent challenge of reducing emissions while maintaining operational efficiency. ITA Airways’ decision to implement SITA OptiFlight® demonstrates the measurable impact that leveraging the power of data can have. Fuel consumption is one of the main challenges for airlines facing increasing regulatory and environmental pressures. As it represents one of the largest costs in daily operations, the need for smart solutions has never been greater. By using real-time data and predictive modeling, SITA OptiFlight® will enable ITA Airways to reduce fuel consumption and emissions while maintaining optimal flight performance. This collaboration shows how fundamental digital transformation is to the sustainability of aviation.”
About SITA: SITA is the technology backbone of the air transport industry, enabling safer, easier, and more sustainable travel for all. From the early days of commercial aviation to today’s digital frontiers, SITA has always been present, connecting the industry and helping it evolve through every major milestone.
With around 2,500 customers, SITA technology supports more than 1,000 airports and over 19,600 aircraft worldwide. It also helps more than 70 governments strike the right balance between border security and seamless travel. Behind the scenes, SITA handles 45 to 50% of the industry’s data exchanges, enabling a highly complex global network to operate smoothly and reliably at every stage of the journey.
This transformation goes beyond new products. We are investing in the right skills, tools, and partnerships to help the industry evolve with greater intelligence and agility, bringing together smart systems, seamless data, and sustainable innovation. As global traffic continues to grow rapidly, smooth operations are essential.
As part of our ambitious climate strategy, SITA is reducing its emissions by 4.2% annually and aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. Our science-based targets are validated by the SBTi, and our expanding portfolio also helps our customers reduce their own carbon footprint.
Owned by the industry and driven by its needs, SITA operates in more than 200 countries and territories.
About ITA Airways: ITA Airways is Italy’s reference airline. The company is owned 59% by the Ministry of Economy and Finance and 41% by Deutsche Lufthansa AG. ITA Airways provides both passenger and cargo air transport services, offering Italy high-quality connectivity to international destinations, supporting tourism and foreign trade, as well as domestic connectivity within the country, while leveraging integrated mobility.
Through strong process digitalization aimed at ensuring the best possible experience and personalized services, ITA Airways places customer service at the heart of its strategy. This is accompanied by a commitment to sustainability, encompassing environmental aspects (such as a young, state-of-the-art fleet to reduce environmental impact), social aspects (with strong attention to its employees and the communities in which it operates), and governance aspects (integrating sustainability into internal strategies and processes).
ITA Airways is a member of Star Alliance, the world’s leading airline alliance, offering its customers a seamless travel experience across its member airlines worldwide.
Source: ITA Airways
