Africa's largest and most profitable airline says it is negotiating to take over management of West Africa's largest airline, the Nigeria-based Arik Air. Ethiopian Airlines' head for international services, Esayas Woldemariam, said that the negotiations follow a request by Nigeria's aviation ministry. Nigeria's government took over Arik Air early this year after it declared heavy losses. "We definitely are willing and able to take over the management of Arik Air," Esayas said Wednesday. Taking over Arik Air's management would give the airline a major presence in Africa's most populous nation and one of the continent's top economies and oil producers.<br/>
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Bird Group, an aviation and hospitality company, said it is interested in bidding for the ground handling division of Air India, the state-owned flag carrier the government is planning to sell in full or part. The New Delhi-based group has written to the Ministry of Civil Aviation asking the government to consider selling Air India’s subsidiaries separately, a spokesman said. Air India Air Transport Services Ltd. would make an attractive acquisition because it could be close to triple the size of Bird Group in the ground handling business, said the spokesman. It is premature to speculate on a valuation of the company known as AIATSL because its finances and liabilities are not known and due diligence has yet to be done, he said. Indian PM Narendra Modi approved a plan in June to privatize Air India, and a group of ministers is currently deciding on the sale process. The government is still deliberating on the stake to be sold and the fate of the 85-year old national carrier’s $8 billion debt. A decision on Air India will be taken after completing due process, but it needs to be done "expeditiously," Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who heads the group of ministers, said Wednesday.<br/>
Alaska Airlines is adding Singapore Airlines to its already broad line-up of frequent-flier partners. The carriers announced their partnership Wednesday, saying they’ll offer reciprocal frequent-flier benefits. That means Alaska Airlines fliers can earn and redeem miles on Singapore Airlines flights (and vice versa). For Alaska Airlines customers flying on Singapore, most economy tickets will earn 50% to 75% of the miles flown. Full-fare economy and premium-cabin tickets will earn at least 100% of the miles flown, according to an earning chart posted by Alaska Airlines. In addition to the frequent-flier pact, Alaska and Singapore will enact a codeshare partnership, pending government approval. The companies say that the plan, if approved, would take effect Sept. 27. Under the agreement, Singapore Airlines would add its "SQ" airline code to Alaska Airlines-operated flights on routes serving 18 destinations within the US and to Mexico. Flights operated under Singapore’s existing codeshare pact with Virgin America, which Alaska Airlines acquired late last year, would be included in the new agreement.<br/>
Since the Trump administration began in January, Air China has seen a significant reduction in demand for US flights and may have to reduce some capacity, its top executive for North America said Tuesday. Of significant concern is what the airline believes is a notable decrease in the number of Chinese visitors approved for US visas, said Zhihang Chi, Air China’s VP and GM for North America. Another issue, he said, is ethnic Chinese living in the United States who might be avoiding returning to China for vacation because they fear they’ll be hassled by US border officers when they return. For the visa issue, US officials will not share numbers with the airline, but Chi and his colleagues suspect about 15 to 16% of potential travelers are having their applications denied. In the Obama administration, he said, denial rates were about 10%. Air China can calculate a rough rate because it allows groups to hold seats and cancel tickets for passengers who do not receive visas. “If this continues, we will have to do something,” Chi said. “We are a for-profit cooperation, and obviously we need to match supply with demand.” Chi said Air China has not lodged any formal protests, saying the airline wants to wait to determine whether it’s an “isolated problem.”<br/>
EgyptAir will operate 104 flights to the resort cities of Sharm el Sheikh, Hurghada and Marsa Alam during the period from August 31 to September 5. In a statement on Wednesday, EgyptAir Chairman Helmy Rezq said the measure aims at promoting domestic tourism in Egypt and meeting the needs of passengers during Eidul Adha.<br/>