ITA Airways Pilot Interview Prep: Process, Sim, Questions (2026 Guide)

ITA Airways replaced Alitalia as Italy's flag carrier in 2021 and is now part of the Lufthansa Group following its 2024 acquisition. The Lufthansa Group affiliation is a real career asset — it opens long-term mobility into LH, Swiss, Austrian, Eurowings, and Brussels Airlines. This guide covers ITA's recruitment process, sim assessment, technical content, and the language considerations.

About ITA Airways

ITA operates a mixed Airbus fleet: A220, A319, A320, A321 for short-haul, and A330ceo, A330neo, A350 for long-haul. Total fleet size is approximately 100 aircraft and growing through Lufthansa Group integration plans.

Bases: Rome Fiumicino (FCO) is the main hub — most of the long-haul operation runs from FCO. Milan Linate (LIN) is the second base, focused on short-haul and the Linate-FCO corridor. Smaller operations from Milan Malpensa.

The Lufthansa Group affiliation is critical context. Recruitment processes are increasingly aligned with LH Group standards, which means more structured assessments and possible cross-airline mobility opportunities later in your career. The integration is ongoing — expect process changes as it progresses.

Operating language: Italian for domestic operations, English internationally. Most pilots are Italian. Non-Italian-speakers can apply but typically face additional language requirements.

Recruitment stages

Sim assessment

Standard A320 sim assessment in Italy. Manual takeoff, raw data climbing, ILS approach, possibly an engine failure or unusual attitude. Same fundamentals as every European carrier — smooth handling, instrument scan, CRM.

HR interview

The interview is conducted in Italian and English. STAR competency questions plus scenarios. ITA-specific themes:

• Why ITA Airways and not another LH Group airline?
• Italian language commitment — willingness to learn if not fluent
• View on the Lufthansa Group integration — they want pilots who see it as opportunity
• Geographic flexibility — Rome vs Milan vs eventual LH Group bases
• Long-haul interest — ITA's growing long-haul operation

Technical questions

1. A320 systems — hydraulics, FBW, FADEC (see our system guides)
2. FLEX takeoff — FLEX guide
3. ETOPS — ITA flies transatlantic and Mid-East ETOPS routes
4. Hot/high operations — Italian summer ops
5. Performance and weight/balance basics
6. Pressurisation and oxygen

Common pitfalls

1. Weak Italian — total absence of Italian is a disadvantage
2. Manual handling — same theme everywhere
3. Negative views on the LH integration — keep these to yourself; be optimistic about the future
4. Vague long-haul interest — talk about specific ITA destinations