Itavia

Itavia was an Italian airline founded in 1958 and based at Rome Fiumicino Airport. During the 1960s it became one of the main private airlines of Italy, until its collapse in the early 1980s, following the destruction of Flight 870, also known as the Ustica disaster. Itavia was headquartered in Rome.<ref>"World airline directory." Flight International. 26 July 1980. p. 261. "43 Via Sicilia, Rome, Italy. 60104." (Direct PDF Link, Archive)</ref>

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 Dove and de Havilland DH.114 Heron aircraft. Operations were suspended in 1961, but resumed in 1962 under the name Aerolinee Itavia. The Herons were replaced in 1963 with the larger Handley Page Dart Herald, a pressurised turboprop liner. The Heralds remained in service until 1973.

Operations ceased again in 1965 and recommenced again in 1969 using Fokker F28 twin-jet airliners. In 1971 the Douglas DC-9-15 entered service. 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.<ref>Hengi, Template:Page needed</ref>

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 Via Sicilia 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 replaced by Aermediterranea, a subsidiary of Alitalia and ATI, in 1981.

Fleet

File:Handley Page Herald 203 I-TIVE Itavia RWY 02.06.66 edited-2.jpg

Itavia Handley Page Herald at Manchester Airport in 1966

File:Itavia DC-9 I-TIGI.jpg

Itavia Douglas DC-9 I-TIGI at Pisa Airport in 1973. This aircraft was destroyed on Flight 870.

Various aircraft types were operated by Itavia over the years:<ref>Klee, Ulrich & Bucher, Frank et al. jp airline-fleets international. Zürich-Airport, 1967–1979.</ref>

Itavia Historical Fleet

Aircraft	Total	Introduced	Retired	Refs
Cessna 402B Utiliner	1	1967	1983	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Dassault Falcon 20	1	1977	1978	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
de Havilland DH.104 Dove	1	1959	1960	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
de Havilland DH.114 Heron	7	1959	1964	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Douglas C-47A Skytrain	2	1961	1962	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Douglas C-47/DC-3">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Douglas C-47B Skytrain	2	1961	1963	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Douglas C-47/DC-3"/>
Fokker F.28 Mk 1000 Fellowship	14	1969	1984	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Handley Page HPR-7 Dart Herald	5	1963	1973	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
McDonnell Douglas DC-9-15	5	1971	1983	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=douglasdc9>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
McDonnell Douglas DC-9-21	1	1980	1980	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=douglasdc9/>
McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30	4	1972	1981	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=douglasdc9/>
McDonnell Douglas DC-9-51	1	1976	1977	<ref name="Douglas DC-9-30"/><ref name=douglasdc9/>
McDonnell Douglas MD-81	1	1983	1983	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Sud Aviation Caravelle VI-R	1	1975	1975	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Incidents and accidents

• On October 14, 1960, 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.
• On March 30, 1963, a DC-3, registered as I-TAVI 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.

See also

• List of defunct airlines of Italy

References

• Template:Cite book

External links

• Itavia entry at Rzjets