ITA Airways, the successor to Alitalia, signed a codeshare agreement with Air Malta, the flag carrier for the archipelago island nation located to Italy’s south in the Mediterranean Sea.

ITA, which launched operations on Oct. 15 after long-troubled Alitalia ceased flying, will place its AZ code on all flights operated by Air Malta between Malta (MLA) and Italy.

Air Malta will place its KM code on ITA flights between MLA and Rome Fiumicino (FCO) and on ITA flights in the Italian domestic market beyond FCO and Milan Linate (LIN). It also will place its code on select international services operated by ITA from Italy.

“We are very excited with this new codeshare agreement that connects us to a wide selection of airports in Italy and beyond,” Air Malta chief commercial officer Roy Kinnear said. “Italy is one of Air Malta’s most important markets, and this agreement will enhance our reach in the Italian market.”

ITA chief of network, fleet and alliances Andrea Benassi added: “ITA Airways is seeking valuable partnerships to support this important start-up period and this agreement goes in the right direction … [The codeshare accord] significantly enlarges our presence in Malta, a key market which presents great growth opportunities for [ITA].”

Air Malta operates a fleet of four Airbus A320neos and three A320ceos.

ITA operates to 44 destinations on 59 routes, with plans to grow to 74 destinations on 89 routes by 2025. ITA says it is engaged in a “rebalancing process,” moving “flights towards the long-haul sector, which is aimed at bridging the connectivity gap of [Italy].”

The carrier operates a fleet of 52 aircraft.

Image credit: ITA Airways