ITA Airways and Spanish high-speed rail operator iryo have entered an agreement to offer intermodal travel between Spain and Italy.
The move will allow travellers to book multimodal travel on a single ticket for “a new series of combined journeys”, the companies said, connecting ITA Airways flights to Madrid and Barcelona with onward rail travel to Córdoba, Valencia, Alicante, Seville and Málaga via iryo’s Frecciarossa service.
Iryo passengers, meanwhile, will have access to more than 20 airports in Italy, via ITA'a network, including those in Rome, Milan, Venice, Florence and Naples.
The combined ‘train + air’ ticket will include “services and offerings from both companies" and can be purchased directly from the ITA Airways website or via authorised agencies.
Stefano Antonio Donnarumma, CEO and general manager of FS Group, which owns a majority stake in iryo, said: “[Europe] represents a fundamental strategic opportunity looking towards a future of increasingly integrated, intermodal and sustainable mobility. Our vision is to promote seamless mobility between the different European countries, with the train as a means of connecting the main cities and metros.”
Donnarumma said the group is focused on growing its international rail business, for which it estimates passenger volumes will increase by 40 per cent by 2029.
ITA Airways’ newly appointed CEO and general manager Joerg Eberhart said the agreement represents “a significant expansion of our offer for the Spanish market and reinforces ITA Airways' commitment to intermodal travel”.
He added: “Our goal is to ensure more efficient connectivity between Spain and Italy, guaranteeing connections from our hub in Rome Fiumicino, via Madrid and Barcelona, to seven destinations in Spain.”