Lufthansa said Eurowings will enter a new phase of growth as the wholesale transfer of dozens of jets from Air Berlin and Brussels Airlines doubles the size of its fleet and sidesteps union opposition to expansion. Lufthansa’s twin moves to buy Brussels Air, which has 49 jets, and take over 35 from Air Berlin will re-energise Eurowings and allow it to play a role in European airline consolidation, Karl Ulrich Garnadt, the Lufthansa board member with responsibility for Eurowings, said Thursday. “These are ground-breaking decisions,” Garnadt said. “We started with Eurowings to safeguard our home markets and seek growth opportunities, and then we set up a foreign base in Vienna and began long-haul operations. Now with Wednesday’s decisions, the third phase will begin.” <br/>
unaligned
Monarch Airlines is in talks with aviation authorities to gain time as it seeks to pull together a multimillion-pound cash injection before its licence to fly expires at midnight Friday. The airline may seek a temporary extension to its annual operating licence from the CAA if it can show it is close to arranging funding. Monarch and many other airlines must renew their Air Travel Organiser’s Licence (Atol) by midnight Friday. An Atol requires an operator to show it has enough money to operate for 3 months and provides compensation to customers when travel companies go bust. The carrier has been in talks with the CAA after doubts emerged about its financial strength. The speculation appears to have started when aircraft enthusiasts suggested planes were being lined up by the CAA to replace Monarch flights. <br/>