Slovenia removed from UK air corridor

GLOBAL AVIATION NEWS

Lufthansa eyes ITA stake

The Lufthansa Group is reported to be working on a proposal to purchase up to 40% of new Italian airline ITA. The German group is keen to gain a foothold in the Italian market and wants to develop Rome Fiumicino as a major international hub. ITA’s board has also expressed interest in partnering with Lufthansa. A deal could be reached as early as this summer. ITA Airways might only have started operations on October 15, but it has already been making waves in the European aviation space. From ordering up 28 new technology aircraft from Airbus to signing various codeshares, the airline has been keenly making its presence known. But what it really needs is a major partner for future operations, and front runner to be that partner is German aviation giant Lufthansa. The group is reported to have presented a proposal for a partnership with the Italian airline, which includes a purchase of share capital of between 15% and 40%. The proposal, which remains unofficial for now, is also reported to include the development of Fiumicino as a new hub and other partnership elements. Lufthansa is keenly eyeing ITA’s commitment to a leaner, greener fleet, and believes that it can deal a blow to European competition as the industry prepares for significant recovery. Having repaid its bailout loan in full at the end of last year, the Lufthansa Group is in a strong position to begin making strategic investments for the future. For ITA, a strong international partner is needed to strengthen its network, and Lufthansa is keenly desired by the board. ITA Airways board member Alfredo Altavilla said last month, “It would be wrong to remain independent because we would always be too small compared to the three big airline groups operating in Europe. We are a pretty bachelorette who has many admirers… we hope that Lufthansa will be one of those handsome and rich admirers who might be interested in ITA Airways”.

Slovenia removed from UK air corridor

NEWS FLASH

Slovenia is the latest to be placed effectively off-limits for British travellers after being added to the no-go list of countries “to keep everyone safe”, in the words of UK’s Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps. The Department for Transport has returned Slovenia to the list of countries from which travellers are required to quarantine for fourteen days upon arrival. Currently, none of the countries from the former Yugoslavia are on the UK’s corridor list. easyJet is the only carrier maintaining services between the UK and Slovenia, with its service between London Gatwick and Ljubljana continuing to operate as planned, twice per week.

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Anonymous17:12
I hope they stay.
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Slovenia removed from UK air corridor

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