Italian leisure airline Neos will begin flying to the U.S. during the second half of this year. No launch date has been announced. 

Neos' first U.S. route will operate twice weekly between Milan and JFK. 

The carrier, which is based in Somma Lombardo, about an hour northwest of Milan, recently received DOT approval to operate service to the U.S., it said. 

Related: Air Italy ceasing operations

Neos will operate Milan-JFK on a two-cabin Boeing 737-9 Dreamliner. The plane has 28 premium economy seats and a 331-seat economy cabin, which includes 54 extra-legroom seats, called Economy Extra and Economy Extra plus. By the summer, American, Delta, Emirates and Alitalia are also scheduled to be flying Milan-JFK, according to Cirium flight data. American and Delta service the route this month. 

Neos was founded in 2002 and is a subsidiary of the Italian tour operator Alpitour. The carrier flies more than 50 routes within Italy and to destinations in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Caribbean. 

Neos said it plans to add more U.S. destinations and to increase its service frequency to JFK in 2022.