New Direct Brazil-Italy Flights in 2026: Full Guide

The air network between Brazil and Italy has gotten a boost in recent months, with airlines announcing new frequencies and, in some cases, brand-new routes for 2026. The move is seen with optimism by those planning roots tourism, trips to Italian consulates, and visits to family members, though industry experts recommend caution before celebrating routes that haven't launched yet.

Overview of new routes announced for 2026

Airlines such as ITA Airways, Latam, and Neos expanded or confirmed direct operations between the two countries throughout 2026, according to information released by the companies themselves and reported by aviation-focused outlets such as Aeroin and Panrotas. ITA Airways, Italy's flag carrier, maintained its daily route between São Paulo and Rome and also began operating additional seasonal connections during high-demand periods, such as December and January, when the flow of Brazilians visiting relatives in Italy increases.

Neos, an Italian leisure-focused airline, expanded charter and semi-regular operations connecting Brazil to Italian cities outside the traditional hubs, catering especially to travelers heading there for work or tourism during the European summer. Latam, meanwhile, maintained its long-standing connection between São Paulo and Milan, with frequency that varies by season, being more intense between October and March.

Seasonality is worth paying attention to: not all announced routes operate year-round. Some only run during specific windows, such as the European summer or the year-end holidays, when demand from Brazilians and Italian-Brazilians is higher.

Which Italian airports gained direct connections

Rome Fiumicino remains the main arrival hub for flights from Brazil, followed by Milan Malpensa, which especially serves passengers headed to northern Italy and regions like Lombardy, Piedmont, and Veneto — areas with a strong concentration of descendants of Italian immigrants.

Beyond these two traditional hubs, there have been some improvements in connections to southern Italy. There is still no direct flight from Brazil to airports like Naples, Bari, or Palermo, but internal connections within Italy have become more efficient, with better scheduling synchronization between international and domestic flights operated by airlines such as ITA Airways and Volotea.

Direct flight time between São Paulo and Rome remains around 11 hours, varying depending on winds and route. For those continuing on to cities in southern Italy — the origin of a large share of Italian descendants in Brazil — a connection in Rome or Milan typically adds between 1.5 and 3 hours to the total trip, depending on arrival time and the availability of domestic flights.

Departures from Brazil: which cities were included

São Paulo remains the main departure gateway, concentrating most direct operations to Italy. Rio de Janeiro also maintains seasonal direct flights, especially during the Brazilian summer, when demand for trips to Europe rises.

Cities in the interior and other regions of the country, however, still depend on connections within Brazil or through other international hubs, such as Lisbon, Madrid, or cities in the Middle East, before continuing on to Italy. So far, there is no confirmation of a direct flight departing from capitals in southern or northeastern Brazil.

This scenario directly affects Italian descendants living outside the Rio–São Paulo corridor, who must add a domestic leg to an already long international journey. For those planning a trip to Italy to move forward with citizenship or ancestry recognition processes, this extra connection should be factored into time and budget planning.

Average prices and how to save on airfare

Ticket prices to Italy in 2026 vary significantly depending on the time of year. During high season — December, January, and the European summer between June and August — fares tend to be higher, while low-demand months such as March, April, September, and October usually offer more affordable prices along with mild weather in Italy.

Travel agencies and fare comparison sites recommend booking at least four to six months in advance for those seeking better rates, especially during high-demand dates such as year-end holidays and Italian religious festivities. One-off promotions tend to pop up during periods of low booking demand, generally between February and May.

For those who accumulate miles, airline loyalty programs and credit card rewards remain a viable way to cut costs, especially on connecting flights. It's also worth watching for promotional fares announced directly through airlines' official channels, which often run seasonal campaigns on social media and via email marketing to registered customers.

What this means for those seeking citizenship and planning tourism

The increase in direct flight availability makes life easier for those who need to travel to Italy to move forward with Italian citizenship processes through the judicial pathway, today the main option available to descendants of more distant generations, such as great-grandchildren, following the changes brought by the Decreto Tajani (DL 36/2025, converted into Lei 74/2025). Those who still qualify for the consular pathway — children and grandchildren of Italians — also benefit from more scheduling options and frequencies for attending appointments.

To understand how this process works, it's worth checking out the complete guide to consular scheduling available on the site, which details steps, documents, and timelines.

The greater availability of flights is also boosting so-called roots tourism, when descendants travel to Italy to visit their family's town of origin, explore parish and civil archives, and carry out document searches in Italy needed to prove their line of descent. Those planning this type of trip can also make use of our content on the best time to visit Italy, which helps balance weather, prices, and tourist crowds.

How to stay updated and avoid cancellations

Recent history in international aviation shows that routes can be suspended or rescheduled depending on demand, exchange rates, and operating costs — as happened extensively during the pandemic, when several airlines canceled flights between Brazil and Europe for extended periods. For this reason, travel experts recommend checking airlines' official channels directly, such as websites and apps, to confirm a route is actually operating before locking in other commitments, such as consular appointments or court hearings.

Bookings with flexible rebooking policies, although generally more expensive, offer more peace of mind for those who depend on specific dates in Italy, such as appearing before a consulate or court. For those following this topic closely, it's worth staying informed through news on Italian citizenship, which often includes updates on changes that could impact trips related to recognition processes.

The expansion of direct routes between Brazil and Italy in 2026 represents welcome logistical relief for travelers, but benefits remain concentrated mainly in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. Descendants from other regions of the country still depend on connecting flights, which reinforces the importance of planning ahead, especially for those traveling with specific goals, such as moving forward with Italian citizenship processes.

Want to find out if you're eligible for Italian citizenship? Talk to a specialized advisory team