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Colombian airlines Avianca and Viva have appealed to the aviation regulator after it denied their plan to merge, proposing steps to allay its concerns, such as yielding some routes to competitors, the companies said on Wednesday. In an April agreement to merge the airlines envisaged retaining their respective brands and business strategies as the travel sector struggled with the COVID-19 pandemic. But the governing body of Colombia's civil aviation regulator objected, saying the merger posed risks to competition and the best interests of consumers. Plans to address these concerns include reducing operations at El Dorado airport in the capital, Bogota, maintaining Viva's brand and low-cost model, adding employees and maintaining the cost of flights on some routes, Avianca said in a statement published on Wednesday. The airlines also expressed interest in working with state-owned Satena to boost links to Colombia's most remote regions. Viva faces a complex financial situation after the pandemic brought a slowdown in travel, worsened this year by rising fuel prices and a weaker peso currency. Avianca said the appeal and measures it was proposing would improve Viva's finances, yielding benefits for employees and suppliers. It said it would also seek to meet traveler demand if authorities made it impossible to boost Viva's financial health.<br/>

Air Canada has recently resumed its direct service between Auckland and Vancouver after halting it during the COVID-19 pandemic. It's one of several major international routes being restarted as 2022 draws to a close, kicking off a few weeks before Emirates relaunches its daily Auckland-Dubai service on the mighty A380. But not many airlines would have ambitions for this part of the world as big as those of Air Canada. The country's flag carrier is hoping to move being a lesser-known airline in Aotearoa to instead being one of the most popular options for Kiwis travelling to North America. The strategy is to provide a great, award-winning in-flight service with conveniences not offered by other airlines, and in particular using Vancouver International Airport. "Having Vancouver Airport as our hub really sets us apart because it makes it that much easier flying into North America," Vic Naughton, Air Canada's general manager Australia and New Zealand, told Newshub. "If you have to stop somewhere on the way to your final destination in North America, going through Vancouver Airport is the only way to do it and not have to collect your baggage as you transit." As well as having their luggage checked through, Kiwis stopping in Vancouver on the way to the US can pre-clear US customs and immigration formalities in Canada before boarding their connecting flight. "It's just a lot more efficient and seamless. That's what we offer that no one else does," said Naughton.<br/>

Lufthansa AG is evaluating a solo bid for Alitalia successor ITA Airways after talks between the Italian government and other potential suitors collapsed, according to people with the matter. The German airline group is looking through ITA’s data room and could make a bid to acquire the carrier on its own, said the people, asking not to be named because the discussions are private. Lufthansa’s management is weighing a range of options, including becoming a minority partner or walking away from any offer, said one of the people. Discussions remain preliminary and the airline has not decided on a definitive course of action, the person said. Lufthansa has been forced to evaluate its next steps after partner and leading bidder MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company SA said Nov. 21 that it’s abandoning the process, dealing a blow to Italy’s efforts to sell ITA after years of losses by the carrier and its predecessor. Lufthansa has been linked to possible moves on ITA and Alitalia for years. Gaining control of the carrier would prevent a rival from establishing a major transatlantic hub in Milan, which could threaten Lufthansa’s profitable long-haul operation in Munich. But there are hurdles to a solo bid. Italy’s aviation market is significantly more competitive than Germany, with low-cost carriers including Ryanair Plc holding hefty market shares and dragging down average ticket prices. That could shape up to be a problem for Lufthansa, which needs to boost profitability to pay down debts incurred during the pandemic. Italian Finance Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti said on Tuesday that Lufthansa “is still interested” and that ITA’s data room remains open. Lufthansa declined to comment. <br/>

Portugal’s state-owned airline TAP SA will cancel 360 flights during a two day cabin-crew strike scheduled for Dec. 8-9 after the carrier failed to reach a new agreement with unions. “The cancellation of the flights is happening now,” CEO Christine Ourmieres-Widener said at a press conference in Lisbon on Wednesday. The strike will affect about half of TAP’s flights, or about 50,000 passengers during those two days, and result in about E8m ($8.3m) in lost revenue, she said. Cabin crew union SNPVAC scheduled the protest, which begins on a public holiday in Portugal, after rejecting a new contract proposal from TAP. Union leader Ricardo Penarroias said on Wednesday that TAP’s last proposal didn’t address staffing shortages, insufficient rest breaks between flights and low wages at the Lisbon-based airline. The cancellations are happening as the Portuguese government, which recently provided a 2.55-billion-euro bailout for TAP, looks for a new shareholder to help put the airline on a more solid footing. TAP posted a loss of 91 million euros for the first nine months of 2022. Earlier this month, TAP said it was advising its passengers to change the date of their flights in order to avoid the strike. SNPVAC, which represents more than 3,000 cabin crew workers in Portugal, will hold a meeting two days before the strike to evaluate the state of negotiations with TAP.<br/>

Ethiopia's national flag carrier, Ethiopian Airlines announced on Wednesday it plans to resume flights to destinations in the conflict-scarred Tigray region in northern Ethiopia. Speaking to state media outlet Ethiopian News Agency, CEO of Ethiopian Airlines Mesfin Tassew said his company is preparing to start regular flights to destinations in Tigray that had been suspended for more than a year. Tassew said the Mekelle and Shire Airports in the Tigray region are in good condition to be able to accommodate the resumption of flights. However, he said another airport in the northern Tigray region, Axum airport which sustained conflict-related damages will need to undergo rehabilitation works before it can accommodate flights. The recent peace agreement between the Ethiopian government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) will allow the resumption of regular flights as well as facilitate humanitarian aid reach, the Ethiopian Airlines CEO said. Ethiopia, Africa's second most populous nation in Africa, has seen a devastating conflict between government-allied troops and forces loyal to the TPLF since November 2020, which has left millions in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. Earlier this month, the Ethiopian government and the TPLF formally agreed to the cessation of hostilities after a two-year-old conflict.<br/>

EVA Air plans to pivot away from narrowbodies in favour of more widebody aircraft according to the airline's president, Sun Chia-ming. Sun told Bloomberg that when the twenty-two-strong fleet of A321-200s is replaced, it will likely be with widebody planes. The ongoing closure of mainland China, where the A321-200s normally fly, is partly behind this shift in fleet strategy. Sun is bearish on China re-opening anytime soon, and with other markets already reopened and passenger demand strong, he says there is a requirement for widebodies elsewhere in the network. "Definitely, we are going to shrink the size of our narrowbodies," he said. "I read some news saying it’s very possible that China won’t open up until the end of next year. That means it’s bad for us.” Sun says even when China does reopen, not all routes will necessarily immediately resume or even resume at all.<br/>

It has a unique livery you won’t find anywhere else in the world, and it has just arrived in New Zealand. Air New Zealand has welcomed a brand new A321neo to the fleet which will soon be a regular feature around the country. The special jet-black Star Alliance livery was a request by the airline to show the importance of the colour to the country. It’s the second A321neo to join the fleet in the last couple of weeks, with both adding 200,000 more seats per year to the domestic network. Three more of the model are due to arrive next year, with a further two in 2026. The planes will fly the main trunk routes such as Auckland to Wellington, Christchurch, Queenstown and Dunedin. The new aircraft will have five days of getting ready before embarking on its first flight on December 3 from Auckland to Queenstown. The A321neo seats 217 passengers, 46 more than the current Air New Zealand domestic jets that fly around the country. It was first introduced to Air New Zealand's fleet in 2018 and is used for international flying to places like Australia and the islands – although it occasionally pops up on the domestic network. These planes are equipped with wi-fi and seatback screens for entertainment. However, the new A321s will be exclusively used for domestic and won't have extra features like wi-fi or seatback screens.<br/>