Cycling, new Ita Airways planes: now Coppi and Bartali compete in the clouds

The challenge between Fausto Coppi and Gino Bartali continues in the sky, among the clouds. From street to cinema, from Giro d’Italia and Tour de France to literature, from theater to airplanes. Coppi died in 1960 at the age of 40 of malaria not diagnosed in time, Bartali died in 2000 at the age of 85 and after his death the chapter of his commitment (never revealed before) for the rescue of Jews during the war opened. : Ginettaccio “Righteous among the Nations”, the cause for beatification is also underway. An endless duel, which conquers the new generations. Because it was they too, on the Instagram and Facebook profiles of the Gazzetta dello Sport, in collaboration with the social networks of Ita Airways, who asked to name the new two planes of the national airline born from the ashes of Alitalia after the two cycling champions.

The initiative is called “Naming Azzurri”: naming the planes after champions of Italian sport: “Ambassadors in the world of determination, strength, passion and grit, elements that have always raised the flag of our country”, he explains Ita Airways in a press release. The new company began flight operations on October 15, 2021, and on December 24 the planes with the new blue livery entered the fleet: the first were two Airbus A320s dedicated to Paolo Rossi and Fausto Coppi, and a dedicated Airbus A319. to Pietro Mennea. Now another Airbus 319 is flying between the skies, bearing the name of Gino Bartali. “Our livery was born light blue, the color that has always symbolized the Italian national sports teams, and what better ambassadors than the great Italian champions to testify to it in the world?”, Explains Giovanni Perosino, Chief Marketing Officer of ITA Airways.