Airline Lufthansa said Friday it had changed its flight routes to Japan because of North Korean missile tests. Lufthansa Group, which owns Swiss, Lufthansa, and Lufthansa Cargo, had already been avoiding direct overflights of North Korean airspace for more than a year, the company said. "As a result of the latest North Korean missile tests, Lufthansa Group has decided for now to change routings to and from Japan, purely as a precautionary measure," the airline said, adding that changes to the flight time were negligible. <br/>
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South Africa's Treasury is considering a 13b rand (US$972m) bailout to keep South African Airways (SAA) going as it battles a cash crunch, Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba said on Friday. The airline runs one of Africa's biggest fleets but is close to bankruptcy after years of operational losses. It received state funds in July to help repay debts and also about 20 billion rand in government guarantees to keep it solvent. Bankruptcy would hurt an economy that slid into recession in March. Credit ratings agencies say SAA should be reformed and cite the cost of propping it up as a threat to the rating of Africa's most industrialized economy, which S&P Global Ratings and Fitch have downgraded to "junk". "We are in discussions about that (a bailout) and at the medium term budget statement in October I will make the necessary announcement," Gigaba said. Gigaba later told a parliamentary finance committee he would consider all financing options including a proposal from SAA to source 6b rand from the Public Investment Corporation (PIC), which oversees state employee retirement funds and has more than 1.8t rand under management. SAA executives later told the committee it would face a liquidity crisis if it does not receive the 13b rand injection to meet debt obligations and cover operating costs.<br/>
THAI is committed to moving ahead with plans to ensure long-term profit growth, in line with a positive bottom line last year and in the first quarter this year. The national carrier vows to come up with a series of strategic plans to tackle global aviation challenges such as fierce competition, technological change, varying passenger behaviour and slowing demand in some markets. The flag carrier is evaluating its business practices and strategies, a phase stipulated in its rehabilitation plan due to end of this year. The rehabilitation plan calls for the carrier to lower expenses and boost revenue after it experienced hefty losses between 2013 and 2015. According to THAI acting president Usanee Sangsingkeo the carrier's new strategic plan will focus largely on product and service improvement, fleet<br/>and network management, revenue and cost management, new investment and human resources. "As acting president, I will continue to strengthen the airline for more sustainable growth and more profit," she says. Usanee was picked in February this year as acting president after the company's presidential selection committee failed to find a new president to replace Charamporn Chotikasthira, whose term ended that month. She is the airline's first woman to be appointed internally to a top management position. Usanee says THAI needs to improve its products to strengthen its competitiveness. The company is adding at least 20 new aircraft to its fleet over this year and next year. Story has more details.<br/>
Air Canada is reporting that two airplanes have clipped wings at Toronto's international airport, but there are no injuries. The airline says 286 passengers were on board an incoming Air Canada flight Saturday evening when it clipped wings with an aircraft operated by LOT Polish Airlines while pulling up to the gate. It says the Air Canada flight had arrived from Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, and was parking at the time. The incident is under investigation.<br/>