By Joseph M. Calisi
On December 24, 2021, ITA Airways rolled out its first plane, an Airbus A320 at Rome’s Fiumicino-Leonardo da Vinci Airport for a flight to Milan as flight number AZ 2044. This new plane features the dedication to Paolo Rossi, the 6—goal scorer of 1982 World Champion Italy in Spain. Rossi scored a 3-goal ‘hat trick’ against Brazil in the knockout round to position the Italian national side for the final against Germany.
The fuselage is painted in the same color blue jersey used by the Italian national soccer team. Unidentified passengers gave the plane high marks for its looks and safety features. One flyer said, “The thing that comforts me at the moment — he added — is that traveling by plane does not constitute any risk of contracting the virus. In my opinion, in fact, compared to other closed environments, I think that the cabin of an airplane represents an additional measure of protection. Factors contributing to this include the direction of the airflow along with the exchange and filtration rate. To this must be added the correct use of the mask and the enhanced sanitation measures in the airports.”
Another said, “It is beautiful. It recalls the colors of a clear blue sky, free of clouds. It is a message of optimism.”
