Aero Trasporti Italiani
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Airline |
| Founded | 16 December 1963 |
| Founder | Alitalia (parent company) |
| Defunct | 30 October 1994 |
| Fate | Fully absorbed into Alitalia |
| Headquarters | Naples , Italy |
Area served | Southern Italy, Libya, Malta, Tunisia, Egypt |
Key people | Giovanni Buonamico (President), Captain M. Mainetti (General Manager) |
| Products | Passenger air transport services |
| Owner | Alitalia (90%), IRI (10%) |
| Parent | Alitalia |
Aero Trasporti Italiani S.p.A (ATI) was an airline based in Naples, Italy. Established on 16 December 1963 as a subsidiary of Alitalia, ATI assumed control of secondary domestic routes in southern Italy that had been previously served by another Alitalia subsidiary, Società Aerea Mediterranea.
History
Alitalia owned a 90% stake in ATI, while the remaining 10% was held by the state-owned holding company IRI. The airline's inaugural President was General Giovanni Buonamico, with Captain M. Mainetti acting as General manager.
Flight operations commenced on 2 June 1964 at Naples Capodichino Airport utilizing two Fokker F27 aircraft, expanding the fleet to 13 by 1969. That same year, four Douglas DC-9-32 jets were introduced. Early routes included connections such as Trieste-Venice-Florence-Rome, Rome-Naples-Palermo-Trapani-Pantelleria, Palermo-Catania-Reggio Calabria-Naples-Rome, and Rome-Grosseto-Milan. ATI focused primarily on east-west travel within southern Italy and Adriatic services between Trieste and Brindisi.
Starting 15 June 1966, ATI operated domestic Libyan flights and weekly services to Malta, Tunis, and Cairo through a wet lease agreement with Kingdom of Libya Airlines, deploying two Fokker F27 aircraft until 1969.
By 1966, the airline expanded its coverage to include Sardinia, growing its fleet to seven F27s and carrying approximately 300,000 passengers. In August 1967, ATI assumed management of Alitalia’s subsidiary Elivie, ceasing helicopter operations by 1971. That year marked further growth with the addition of ten DC-9-32s and a passenger volume reaching 1.8 million. The fleet increased again in 1973 with the acquisition of thirteen more Douglas DC-9-32 jets.
Throughout the 1980s, ATI replaced its 27 DC-9-32 aircraft with a fleet of 38 McDonnell Douglas MD-82 jets and retired the Fokker models in favor of ten regional ATR 42 turboprops. Due to financial considerations, Alitalia fully integrated ATI in 1994; nevertheless, several MD-82s continued to operate under ATI livery while bearing Alitalia branding.
On 20 March 1981, ATI partnered with Alitalia to create a joint venture named Aermediterranea, aimed at substituting the private carrier Itavia within Italy's domestic market. Ownership was split with Alitalia holding 55% and ATI owning 45%. Following the revocation of Itavia’s air operator certificate, its flight personnel transitioned to Aermediterranea, which was subsequently merged into ATI in March 1985.
ATI ceased to exist as an independent entity when it was fully absorbed into Alitalia on 30 October 1994.
Fleet
| Aircraft | Total | Introduced | Retired | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATR 42-300 | 10 | 1986 | 1990 | |
| Fokker F27-200 | 9 | 1964 | 1986 | Two leased to Libyan Airlines between 1967 and 1969 |
| Fokker F27-400 | 2 | One leased directly from Fokker | ||
| Fokker F27-600 | 4 | 1964 | 1986 | Two leased by the Italian Air Force for navigation calibration purposes |
| McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32 | 30 | 1969 | 1994 | 14 units purchased; additional 16 leased from Alitalia |
| McDonnell Douglas MD-82 | 38 | 1985 | 1994 | Two leased from Alitalia |
Accidents and incidents
- : A Fokker F27 operating as Aero Trasporti Italiani Flight 327 crashed into a hillside approximately miles from Bari while en route from Naples. All 27 passengers and crew on board perished.