Dubai: Etihad Airways and Italy’s Alitalia have been named as the Official Global Airline Carriers for Expo 2015 in Milan.
The Universal Exposition will be held from May 1 to October 31, 2015.
An estimated 20 million visitors are expected to attend Expo 2015, of which 7.6 million will travel to Milan by air, the two airlines said in a joint statement.
The new partnership comes as Etihad is expected to take a 49 per cent stake in the Italian carrier after the two signalled that principal terms had been agreed.
Alitalia planes wait on the tarmac prior to take off from Linate airport, in Milan, Italy. The airline has struggled to compete against low-cost airlines and high-speed trains on domestic and regional routes.
Image Credit: AP
