Lufthansa has received more German government support in its bid to take over substantial assets of insolvent rival Air Berlin, with German Economy Minister Brigitte Zypries saying she would welcome such a move. "Lufthansa is already an aviation champion - its position can be strengthened further though," she was quoted saying by German daily Handelsblatt Monday. However, a spokesman for the ministry later attempted to play down the remarks, saying it had no preferred bidder. Industry rivals have voiced concerns at the way the insolvency process is being handled. "Air Berlin is leading the negotiations," the spokesman said. "The government is not at the table. And the government is neither for nor against any of the interested parties." Lufthansa, Germany's top carrier, cannot buy all of Air Berlin because it would give it a dominant position in Germany. But Lufthansa is first in line for talks, ahead of other potential bidders. Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary has already complained that the process is going too quickly to give others a chance to bid. A creditors' committee, which will have to agree any sale, is due to meet for the first time on Wednesday, two sources said, although no major decisions are expected.<br/>
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United continues to evaluate adding a 100-seat aircraft to its mainline fleet, less than a year after it cited the aircraft category's poor economics for the conversion of its Boeing 737-700 order to larger variants. "There does seem to be an opportunity and fit for an aircraft with around 100 seats to fill that gap in our network, but on the other hand the problems with the complexity cost for a new fleet type is a big concern," said Howard Attarian, senior VP of flight operations at the carrier, in a letter to employees on 18 August. There is a 42-seat gap between United's largest regional aircraft, the 76-seat Embraer 175, and its smallest mainline narrowbody, the 118-seat 737-700. That gap is smaller at both American and Delta, both of which have 100 seaters in their mainline fleets. American has 20 Embraer 190s with 99 seats, though it will retire the type in 2019, and Delta has 91 Boeing 717-200s with 110 seats. Both carriers have 76-seat regional jets in their feeder fleets. "It’s our responsibility to look at every option and thoughtfully weigh all of the associated factors before we arrive at any decision, and that’s what we’re doing as part of our ongoing fleet plan analysis," says Attarian on the evaluation of a 100-seat aircraft at United. A spokesman for the airline affirm's his comments, saying it is always looking at ways to "fly more efficiently and make the best use of our fleet".<br/>
Another airline has said its final goodbye to the Boeing 747 passenger jet Monday, as Taiwan-based EVA Air retired its last passenger version of the jumbo jet in Taipei. Throngs of aviation enthusiasts gathered in Hong Kong to join the airplane for its final flight to EVA's Taipei headquarters. Pressed against the glass, they snapped photos and traded stories with one another while waiting to board. “This is part of the reason I joined the aviation-industry,” said passenger Benjamin Hui of Hong Kong before boarding the jet. Hui worked as a loadmaster on the jet, and EVA 747s were some of the first airplanes he serviced. On the flight deck, Capt. Dave Grose and first officer Ali Shu were readying the airplane for its final departure but found it tough to get any work done, thanks to the never-ending queue of passengers hoping to pay them a visit. Fliers packed the airplane's cozy upper deck and clogged the stairwell in the moments before pushback and taxi. Visitors snapped photos, posed for selfies, and asked the two pilots to sign all manner of memorabilia. For a jet that has served many airlines since the 1970s -- especially in Asia -- EVA's nearly 25-year run is comparatively short. But the addition of the plane to the EVA fleet in 1992 enabled the then-fledgling airline to spread its wings on trans-Pacific routes that had previously been beyond its reach.<br/>