Itavia
Defunct Italian airline (1958–1981)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Itavia was an Italian airline founded in 1958 and based at Rome Ciampino Airport. During the 1960s it became one of the main private airlines of Italy, until its collapse in the early 1980s, following the loss of Flight 870, also known as the "Ustica Disaster". Itavia was headquartered in Rome.[1]
History
The airline was formed under the name of Società di Navigazione Aerea Itavia in 1958 and started domestic services a year later using de Havilland DH.104 Dove and de Havilland DH.114 Heron aircraft. Operations were suspended in 1961 after an aircraft crash, but resumed in 1962 under the name Aerolinee Itavia. The Herons were replaced by a handful of Douglas DC 3 and, in 1963, by the more modern Handley Page HPR-7 Herald, a pressurised turboprop airliner. The Heralds remained in service until 1973.
In 1969 the first Fokker F28 twin-jet airliner was delivered. In 1971 the twin-jet Douglas DC-9-15 entered service. In the following years other DC-9 versions operated were the Douglas DC-9-21, Douglas DC-9-31, Douglas DC-9-33 and Douglas DC-9-51. A total of 14 F28s and 11 DC-9s were used throughout its history.[2]
Itavia operated a domestic network, augmented by charter flights and some European routes during the holiday season. In 1972 the company registered its head office in Catanzaro, primarily to benefit from subsidies and tax relief designed to assist businesses in the south of the country, but its administrative base and management team remained in Rome. Activity was again suspended in December 1980, following the crash of Flight 870 earlier that year and the deaths of all 81 people on board. The airline was partly replaced by Aermediterranea, a subsidiary of Alitalia and ATI, in 1981.
Fleet
Various aircraft types were operated by Itavia over the years:[3]
| Aircraft | Total | Introduced | Retired | Refs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cessna 402B Utiliner | 1 | 1967 | 1983 | [4][5] |
| Dassault Falcon 20 | 1 | 1977 | 1978 | [6] |
| de Havilland DH.104 Dove | 1 | 1959 | 1960 | [7][8] |
| de Havilland DH.114 Heron | 7 | 1959 | 1964 | [9][10] |
| Douglas C-47A Skytrain | 2 | 1961 | 1962 | [11][12] |
| Douglas C-47B Skytrain | 2 | 1961 | 1963 | [13][12] |
| Fokker F.28 Mk 1000 Fellowship | 14 | 1969 | 1984 | [14][15] |
| Handley Page HPR-7 Dart Herald | 5 | 1963 | 1973 | [16][17] |
| McDonnell Douglas DC-9-15 | 5 | 1971 | 1983 | [18][19] |
| McDonnell Douglas DC-9-21 | 1 | 1980 | 1980 | [20][19] |
| McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30 | 4 | 1972 | 1981 | [21][19] |
| McDonnell Douglas DC-9-51 | 1 | 1976 | 1977 | [21][19] |
| McDonnell Douglas MD-81 | 1 | 1983 | 1983 | [22] |
| Sud Aviation Caravelle VI-R | 1 | 1975 | 1975 | [23][24] |
Incidents and accidents
- On October 14, 1960, Itavia Flight 115, a De Havilland 114 Heron 2 registered as I-AOMU, departed from Rome to Genoa, and crashed on mountain (Monte Capanne), in the Elba's Isle. All 11 passengers and crew on board died.[25]
- On March 30, 1963, a DC-3, registered as I-TAVI operating as Flight 703 departed from Pescara to Rome, and crashed on Monte Serra Alta, a mountain in nearby Sora. All 8 passengers and crew on board died.
- On January 1, 1974, a Fokker F28, registered as I-TIDE operating as Flight 897 departed from Bologna to Turin, and crashed on approach to Turin Airport. 38 of the 42 people on board died.
- On June 27, 1980, Itavia Flight 870, a Douglas DC-9-15 flying from Bologna to Palermo crashed in the Tyrrhenian Sea for reasons unclear, killing all 81 people on board. An explosion caused by either a bomb on board or an air-to-air missile is considered the most likely explanation.
