Gregory Polek has spent his entire career in aviation journalism with AIN, starting as a proofreader and assistant to then-managing editor Mary Mahoney in 1995 after serving an internship with&nbsp;New Jersey Monthly&nbsp;magazine and completing his B.A. degree in English/Writing at New Jersey’s William Paterson College. By 1997 Polek accepted a position as an associate editor, covering the regional airline beat for&nbsp;Aviation International News&nbsp;in place of retiring industry veteran Don Anderson. The assignment took Polek across North America and Europe to profile regional airlines varying in size and mission from the likes of floatplane operators Kenmore Air and Chalk’s Ocean Airways to regional jet operators such as SkyWest and American Eagle. Today, in his dual role as Air Transport Editor and International Airshow Editor, Polek writes, edits, and manages AIN’s commercial aviation content while overseeing each of the company’s daily international air show publications in Paris, Farnborough, Singapore, and Dubai. Most recently Polek has assumed oversight of daily coverage of the Helicopter Association International’s annual Heli-Expo convention.

Senior Editor

Gregory Polek

Alitalia successor ITA Airways, Italy’s new national carrier, has converted a memorandum of understanding to a firm order for 28 Airbus aircraft, including seven A220s, 11 A320neos, and 10 A330neos, Airbus said Wednesday. Along with confirming the MOU announced on September 30, the airline said it will pursue its plans to lease A350s as part of its fleet modernization program. &nbsp;

 


“Today the strategic partnership with Airbus takes an important step forward with the finalization of the order we announced last September,” said ITA executive president Alfredo Altavilla. “In addition to this agreement, possibilities for further collaboration have emerged, in particular regarding technological developments in the aviation sector and digitalization, where Airbus is the market leader. All this is part of the actions to achieve our environmental sustainability objectives.”

 


Plans announced by ITA on September 30 also call for it to acquire 56 aircraft from six lessors, including 31 under a deal with Air Lease Corporation (ALC). Overall, ITA plans to lease 56 new Airbuses, including A350-900s, among 13 long-haul jets. It emphasized that the leases come with “significantly more favorable economic conditions than those applied to Alitalia” and that it cut the number of lessors from 12 at Alitalia to six. ITA did not disclose the names of the other five leasing companies with which it concluded agreements.

 


Management and consultants involved in ITA’s launch always made clear that they would not duplicate Alitalia’s diverse fleet and that the new airline would work with a single supplier to achieve flexibility in crew management and obtain greater efficiency in the supply of aircraft spare parts and maintenance activities. While Alitalia operated mainly A320 family aircraft and A330s, its fleet also included some Embraer E-Jets and Boeing 777s.

 


ITA launched service on October 15 with former Alitalia jets, 52 of which it inherited from the now-defunct airline.

 


The airline expects the first of the new jets to enter the fleet from the end of the first quarter of 2022; at the end of 2025, 70 percent of ITA's 105-unit fleet will consist of new-generation aircraft, the company said in a statement.

News and developments about airplanes, helicopters and unmanned air vehicles used in all varieties of operations, including airlines, military, business, commercial, general aviation and private.

Italy’s ITA Converts 28-aircraft Airbus MOU to Firm Order

Launching service on October 15 with former Alitalia airplanes, ITA plans to take the first of the new Airbus jets by the end of the first quarter of 2022.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Charlotte Bailey

Essential news and analysis on the defense aerospace business. Your trusted source for new and ongoing programs and requirements in military aircraft (manned and unmanned), engines, avionics, weapons and associated systems, including ground-based air defense.

Iconic Cold War spy plane removed from museum amid speculation

NASA Teases Potential SR-71 Blackbird Return To Flight

$20 billion deal marks second new fighter award for major defense prime 

Boeing Secures U.S. Navy F/A-XX Fighter Contract

Howard Hardee

News about commercial airlines, including regulations, aircraft orders, safety, acquisitions, and mergers.

News about bills, laws, regulations and other governmental decisions affecting aviation and aerospace. Topics include FAA re-authorizations, taxes on fuel and aviation activities, environmental legislation, ICAO decisions, governmental mediation of labor conflicts and World Trade Organization disputes and decisions.

News and issues relating to the aerospace industry that are related to the science, engineering and business of flight in space involving civil, industrial and military applications, and similar topics related to flight in the atmosphere of the Earth that are not covered more directly by other AINonline subject channels. In other words, both astronautical and aeronautical subjects, except for those aeronautical topics that are specifically covered elsewhere on this website.

Complication from software change causes concern for airlines with new narrowbody on order

Boeing Deals With Another 737 Max 10 Certification Delay 

Charles Alcock

News and developments about aircraft engines, including turbofan, turboprop, turboshaft and piston.

First of two test aircraft flew from Toulouse for just over four hours

Airbus Makes First A350F Freighter Test Flight

Jet was first production example made by Korea Aerospace Industries 

South Korean Air Force Receives First KF-21 Fighter

 Milestone marks inaugural central Asian customer for Brazilian airframer 

Uzbekistan Takes Delivery of First Embraer C-390

Amy Wilder

News and issues concerning the aviation charter and fractional-ownership industries and markets, including company announcements, regulations, new developments and labor issues.

News and issues relating to international air transport and cargo carriers, national airlines and regional airlines, including aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

Company targets seasonal peaks and capacity shortfalls

KlasJet Wins FAA Approval for U.S. ACMI Operations

News and issues regarding all manner of civil and military rotorcraft and their powerplants, including helicopters, tilt rotors and unmanned air vehicles.

More In Aircraft