Airline companies said flights between Germany and Russia had resumed Wednesday evening, after each country blocked the other's incoming flights as part of the fall-out from tensions over Belarus. Lufthansa said that the Russian authorities had finally granted it clearance for passenger flights to Russia in June. "That means Lufthansa flights to Moscow and Saint Petersburg can be operated as planned," said a spokeswoman for the airline. In Russia, Mikhail Poluboyarinov, CE of Aeroflot told the TASS news agency: "Everything is fine, we have received all the authorisations." And another Russian airline, S7, said it too had received clearance for its flights to Germany, the Ria Novosti agency reported. Earlier Wednesday, Germany's transport ministry said it had blocked flights operated by Russian airlines from arriving in its territory after Moscow failed to provide authorisations for Lufthansa. Two Russia-bound Lufthansa flights due to depart earlier Wednesday from Germany had been cancelled because Russian authorities did not provide the necessary permits for them in time, the ministry said. "Due to the reciprocal practice, the Federal Aviation Authority also did not issue any further permits for flights operated by Russian airlines as long as authorisations are pending on the Russian side," it added.<br/>
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Germany is considering participating in a planned E3b capital increase at Lufthansa, Finance Minister Olaf Scholz said Wednesday, a move that could help to repay the airline’s state-backed bailout. Reuters last month reported that Lufthansa was working with Deutsche Bank and Bank of America on plans for a capital increase in either the summer or autumn. “We are always taking a close look at this. One thing is clear: if companies have a goal of freeing themselves of a need for state support, we will make that possible,” said Scholz. “Our support was put in place so that companies could survive the crisis and then stand on their own feet again,” he said. The bulk of a government-backed E9b bailout for the German carrier, hit hard by the coronavirus crisis, consists of a so-called silent participation of E5.5b which Lufthansa intends to repay in part with proceeds from the capital increase. The participation of the German government could send a positive signal to markets and help ensure the refinancing is successful and also limit a dilution of the government’s 20% stake. However, it could also prompt state aid questions from the EC, say people in the sector.<br/>
ANA Holdings’ subsidiaries mainline carrier All Nippon Airways and budget airline Peach will begin a codeshare agreement in late August. ANA says the agreement will allow travellers to reserve and purchase flights for Peach under ANA and accumulate ANA miles. In addition, ANA says mileage may be exchanged for Peach’s loyalty points. Juichi Hirasawa, senior vice-president and Junko Yazawa, SVP overseeing customer experience management and planning at ANA states: “By combining our resources, both companies will be better equipped to provide travellers with more choices and the flexibility they need when traveling. Since this partnership allows for passengers to accumulate ANA miles when travelling with Peach Aviation, it will also help open up new opportunities.” Flights currently included in the codeshare agreement include Tokyo Narita to New Chitose airport in Sapporo, Tokyo Narita to Fukuoka, Tokyo Narita to Naha airport in Okinawa, Nagoya’s Chubu Centrair International airport to Sapporo and Nagoya to Naha airport.<br/>
Air China has promoted its vice-president Ma Chongxian to the position of president, effective 31 May. The board has also appointed him as an executive director and vice-chairman. The proposed appointment as an executive director is subject to shareholder approval at the general meeting of the airline, the carrier says in a 1 June filing to the Hong Kong stock exchange. Ma will enter into a service contract for serving as a director for a term starting on the date of approval by the shareholders of his appointment and ending on the expiry of the term of the current session of the board. Ma will not receive any remuneration for his serving as Air China’s president and director, the carrier adds. He started his career in July 1988 and worked in the mechanical division of the Inner Mongolia Administration of Civil Aviation Administration of China and the aircraft repair plant at the Inner Mongolia branch of Air China International.<br/>