Neos
has announced that it will be launching a direct flight between Bari
Karol Wojtyła Airport (BRI) and New York JFK Airport
. The service will operate once a week with Neos Air’s modern fleet of Boeing 787
Dreamliner, catering primarily to visiting friends and relatives (VFR) traffic (namely US-Italians) from the United States. The latest move forms part of Neos Air’s continued expansion in the US from various key cities in Italy. It is also a testament to the US’ growing importance for Italy in terms of air travel.
Bari’s first transatlantic flight
Bari, being a fairly small airport, has never had regular transatlantic passenger operations in its nearly 100-year history. The new route to New York will cater to the roughly 88,000 passengers that flew roundtrip between Bari and North America in the year ending July 2024. Of these, 32,000 flew to New York JFK, making it the largest market. The runner-up, Miami, had significantly less traffic, with JFK being four times as large.
Carlo Stradiotti, CEO at Neos Air, had the following to say:
“We strongly believe in the potential of the Puglia market. The number of passengers in the region’s airports continues to grow and it is our objective to transport nearly 12,700 travelers in the first year of operation. After the connection that linked Sicily with the United States, we are expanding our connections to New York, serving yet another important Italian region.”
A seasonal operation
The route will run once a week with the airline’s fleet of Boeing 787 planes. It has eight examples in its fleet, but has recently been suffering from Trent 1000 engine issues like so many other airlines worldwide including the likes of British Airways and Air New Zealand. The services will run on Wednesdays between June 3 and October 15, 2025. The flight times are as follows, with the origin point for the roundtrip being New York.
|
Sector |
Departure time |
Arrival time |
|---|---|---|
|
New York JFK to Bari |
16:00 |
08:00 (same day) |
|
Bari to New York JFK |
11:30 |
13:50 (+1) |
Michele Emiliano, President of the Puglia region, said that the Bari-New York flight is more than just a new route.
“It is a dream that is taking off, a hub between Puglia and the world, a bridge that unites traditions, attachment and opportunity.”
Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying
Similarly to the carrier’s other New York services, the aircraft will most certainly originate from another Italian city, operating a regularly scheduled flight to the Big Apple, before operating the new Bari flight. On its return leg, passengers will disembark in New York, before flying to the original city in Italy.
Neos Air in the Italy-US market
The new route from Puglia will bring Neos Air’s New York network to three destinations. The other two are:
- Milan Malpensa (MXP): a hugely competitive city-pair. Neos Air operates on this sector thrice weekly, and has done so since 2021.
- Palermo (PMO): the new service, launched this year, is offered twice weekly.
Photo: GCMap.com
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Neos Air is not the only airline growing in the Italy-US market. In recent months, US carriers have announced significant expansion plans for summer 2025, launching brand new routes and increasing frequencies. Neos Air is greatly outnumbered by its competitors including Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and American Airlines in the market. It goes without saying that the company is also overshadowed by flights from fellow Italian airline, ITA Airways.
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It is worth noting, though, that Neos’ primary customer base is leisure travelers, whereas the other airlines cater to premium traffic as well.
