Italy's second-largest airline, the privately held
Meridiana, has unveiled a new livery as it rebrands to Air Italy.
The rebranding is part of a broader effort by the airline to
expand while larger competitor Alitalia goes through insolvency proceedings. The expansion will
be supported by Qatar Airways, which acquired 49% of Meridiana last year. The
airline's majority owner is Italy-based AQA Holdings.
The carrier plans to launch its first year-round U.S.
service in June with flights between Milan's Malpensa Airport and both Miami
and New York Kennedy.
Air Italy said it will also beef up its short-haul network.
The carrier plans to grow its fleet from 13 aircraft today to approximately 50
by 2022.