A passenger prepares to board a direct flight to Beijing from Rome. [Photo/Xinhua]

Italy's Alitalia relaunched its direct flights between Beijing and Rome on Tuesday, after a three-year absence, with the airline saying it was bullish on the potential for growth in air travel to China.

"This is a very significant day for Alitalia as we strengthen our presence in the Far East. And let me be very clear: Alitalia is committed totally to the Chinese market and aims to grow its presence in China," said CEO Cramer Ball.

In 2013, Italy's national airline stopped its flights between China and Italy after it suffered losses for some years, and Air China Ltd has been operating direct flights between the two capitals. Two years ago, Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways injected 560 million euros ($620 million) into Alitalia and bought a 49 percent stake in the airline.

After the reorganization, a recapitalized Alitalia revitalized its business. It launched new fleets, renovated cabin interiors, and introduced popular Italian products and food on its planes. Last year, Alitalia posted a net loss of 199 million euros, still a deep deficit but a significant narrowing of the net loss the previous year of 580 million euros.

The airline's executives said in Beijing on Tuesday that Alitalia plans to return to profitability by 2017, the company said.

Alitalia is operating Airbus A330s on the Beijing-Rome route, offering flights on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. The first flights that depart from both Beijing and Rome were full.

Ball said the new flight will encourage business, trade and tourism between the two countries.

"Passengers from China will benefit from connections at Alitalia's hub at Rome Fiumicino airport to Italian and European cities such as Venice, Florence, Pisa and Milan, as well as to Paris and London," he added.

Li Xiaojin, a professor at the Civil Aviation University of China in Tianjin, said: "There is a tremendous demand of Chinese tourists traveling overseas. The current Beijing-Rome flight operated by Air China can't fully meet the demand, and the new flight launched by Alitalia will better fulfill that demand."

"The newly renovated Alitalia should be able to see a good sales growth on the Beijing-Rome route, thanks to the booming demand of international air travel in China and low oil prices."

In addition, Alitalia has signed agreements with China Eastern, China Southern and Hainan Airlines, to serve more than 30 destinations in China by cooperating with Chinese airlines for transfer flights. The partnerships are awaiting government approval.

Last year, 3.5 million Chinese tourists visited Europe, and 1.4 million traveled to Italy. From 2000 to 2013, the number of Italian tourists who visited China more than doubled, and over 250,000 Italian visitors traveled to China annually.