Lufthansa is in talks to buy a 40% stake in state-owned Alitalia's successor ITA Airways, two people familiar with the negotiations said on Sunday, following a newspaper report that a deal could be unveiled next week. The talks about a tie-up between Germany's partly state-owned Lufthansa and ITA Airways are still ongoing with all outcomes possible, one of the sources said on condition of anonymity, adding the stake price was still under negotiation. The second source said Lufthansa and ITA were in talks over a 40% stake sale, but it could take longer than a few days to reach a comprehensive deal. A Lufthansa spokesperson declined to comment, but reiterated an earlier statement that the German carrier was open to the possibility of a partnership with ITA.<br/>
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Ethiopian Airlines Group will ramp up investment in cargo services and infrastructure and is looking to become a logistics hub for Africa’s growing e-commerce market. The continent’s largest airline is considering an order for about five Boeing Co. 777 freighters and may also take upcoming Airbus A350s, CEO Tewolde GebreMariam said. The carrier is also looking to expand its cargo operations in Addis Ababa and hire new people, he said. “We are building a new e-commerce warehouse in the cargo terminal,” he said in an interview from the US. “E-commerce is growing especially between China and Africa and we want to continue the leadership,” he said. While Ethiopian has long been a major operator in freight, the Covid-19 pandemic has elevated demand as stay-at-home rules triggered a boom in online retail. Carrying goods during the past two years helped many airlines stay afloat, as border closures hammered demand for air travel. China is a major investor in Africa and Safaricom Plc, Kenya’s biggest mobile operator, has a partnership with a unit of internet group Alibaba Group to facilitate electronic payments. Cargo now accounts for half of Ethiopian’s revenue, compared with about 15% before the coronavirus, Tewolde said. That figure may drop to 30% as passenger services recover, which he said is likely to accelerate when China opens up in the second half of 2022. “Cargo is the breadwinner, that’s how we remain profitable and cash positive,” Tewolde said. “The passenger side is still suffering. We are about 70% of pre-Covid capacity.” Ethiopian is finalizing the creation of new airline in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and will own 49% of the company. It has similar partnerships with the governments of Zambia, Chad and Malawi. However, a previous plan to order narrow-body A220 planes that would have helped connect the continent has been shelved, Tewolde said, without giving a specific reason.<br/>
Flights for eligible passengers only from Singapore to Perth will not take off on Feb 5 as previously announced, said Singapore Airlines (SIA) on Friday. This comes after the Western Australian authorities delayed the reopening of the state's borders over fears that lagging booster vaccination rates will lead to the spread of the Omicron variant in the community. Eligible passengers include fully vaccinated Australian citizens, permanent residents and their immediate family members, as well as inoculated Singapore citizens and eligible visa holders. SIA announced in October last year that those eligible may book flights from Singapore to Australia. "SIA remains guided by Western Australia's regulations, and we will adjust our flights accordingly. We would like to apologise to our customers for any inconvenience caused," said a spokesman.<br/>