Iryo, the high-speed rail operator in Spain, partially owned by Trenitalia (FS Group), and ITA Airways, Italy’s reference carrier, have signed an agreement to offer integrated "train + air" travel between Spain and Italy.
Thanks to this partnership, passengers will be able to book a single reservation for a new series of combined journeys. ITA Airways customers can conveniently reach destinations such as Córdoba, Valencia, Alicante, Seville, and Málaga via Frecciarossa, destinations currently not directly served by ITA Airways flights. At the same time, iryo passengers will have access to over 20 airports in Italy, including Rome, Milan, Venice, Florence, and Naples.
“For the FS Group, Europe is not just a market: it represents a fundamental strategic opportunity looking towards a future of increasingly integrated, intermodal and sustainable mobility. Our vision is to promote seamless mobility between the different European countries, with the train as a means of connecting the main cities and metros. In this scenario, intermodality becomes the beating heart of a European transport system that contributes to reducing CO2 emissions and improving people's quality of life. For this reason, the 2025-2029 Strategic Plan aims to enhance international business, for which a 40% increase in passenger volume is estimated. The means to achieve the targets we have set ourselves is FS International, a company that brings together everything that is not Italian and which is already a reality with 12 thousand employees and 3 billion in turnover”, said Stefano Antonio Donnarumma, CEO and General Manager of the FS Group.
"This new agreement with iryo, a company of the FS Group, represents a significant expansion of our offer for the Spanish market and reinforces ITA Airways' commitment to intermodal travel. It highlights the values and ambitions driving our strategy: sustainability, innovation, and customer-centricity. Our goal is to ensure more efficient connectivity between Spain and Italy, guaranteeing connections from our hub in Rome Fiumicino, via Madrid and Barcelona, to seven destinations in Spain. We are pleased to collaborate with an innovative operator like iryo and a long-standing partner like Ferrovie dello Stato", said Joerg Eberhart, CEO and General Manager of ITA Airways.
With the combined ticket, ITA Airways and iryo passengers will benefit from the services and offerings of both Companies. ITA Airways' Customer Information Assistance Office and iryo staff, where available in stations, will be ready to assist passengers as needed.
From Madrid and Barcelona airports, travelers can reach many Spanish destinations via high-speed rail. The local train connection is already included in the booking, so an additional transfer cost is not required.
The "train + air" tickets can be purchased directly on ITA Airways' website, ita-airways.com, through authorized travel agencies, ITA Airways ticket offices, and the airline's Customer Information Assistance Office.
Before boarding iryo trains, ITA Airways customers can request to receive their train tickets via email at the time of booking or obtain them directly by visiting www.iryo.eu.
iryo is the commercial brand of the railway operator Intermodalidad de Levante S.A. (ILSA). It is Spain’s first private high-speed operator, owned by Trenitalia, Air Nostrum, and Globalvia. The first Frecciarossa service between Madrid and Barcelona launched on November 25, 2022, followed by additional destinations across Spain, including Valencia, Cuenca, Seville, Malaga, Córdoba, Alicante, and Albacete. Since the start of operations, iryo has transported over 13 million passengers.
During the current winter season, ITA Airways flies to 55 destinations, including 15 intercontinental, 24 international, and 16 domestic routes. In the Spanish market, ITA Airways currently offers 42 weekly frequencies (84 flights) between Spain and Italy, with direct connections from Madrid (21 frequencies) and Barcelona (21 frequencies) to Rome Fiumicino airport. From there, passengers can conveniently connect to ITA Airways' international and intercontinental destinations, including South American routes such as São Paulo, Buenos Aires, and Rio de Janeiro, already part of the airline’s network.
About the FS Group
The FS Group is at the heart of the country's mobility system and plays a key role in its development with a view to integrating infrastructure and different modes of transport. Among the main objectives of Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane is to provide certainty in the execution of infrastructure works, to favour multimodal collective transport over private transport, to increase rail freight transport, to increase energy autonomy. Innovation, digitalisation, connectivity, and the empowerment of people are the enabling factors in which to invest. With its more than 92,000 employees, FS Italiane is a leader in passenger and freight transport by rail. The railway infrastructure runs for more than 17 thousand kilometres, of which more than 1,000 kilometres are dedicated to High Speed/High Capacity services. The FS Group also manages a road network of about 32 thousand kilometres.
About ITA Airways
ITA Airways is the Italian reference carrier. The Company is 59% owned by the Ministry of Economy and Finance and 41% by Deutsche Lufthansa AG. ITA Airways operates both passenger and cargo air transport services, providing Italy with high-quality connectivity to international destinations, supporting tourism and foreign trade, as well as domestic connectivity within the Country, also leveraging integrated mobility.
Through strong digitization of processes to ensure the best possible experience and personalized services, ITA Airways places customer service at the core of its strategy. This is combined with a commitment to sustainability, which encompasses environmental aspects (such as a young, technologically advanced fleet to reduce environmental impact), social aspects (a strong focus on its employees and the communities in which it operates), and governance aspects (integrating sustainability into internal strategies and processes).
