Italy initiated talks with Deutsche Lufthansa AG to sell a minority stake of ITA Airways, the successor of Alitalia SpA, in a move that may kick off aviation industry consolidation in Europe. Italy’s finance ministry on Friday signed a letter of intent with the German carrier, the government led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said in a statement. The administration won’t provide additional details on the talks, it said. Earlier this month Lufthansa submitted a bid, with a view to buying the remaining shares “at a later date.” Further talks will primarily focus on the form of a possible equity investment, and the commercial and operational integration of ITA into Lufthansa, the airline said at that time. A deal would allow Lufthansa to expand in one of Europe’s key markets, while charting a course for Rome to rid itself of an asset that has soaked up billions of euros in state support. While ITA and the erstwhile Alitalia have been notoriously unprofitable, Lufthansa would gain access to lucrative trans-Atlantic travel while preventing a rival from building up a base in northern Italy that might soak up passengers from Lufthansa’s own Munich hub.<br/>
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The UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has said it needs more time to make a decision about the Korean Air merger with Asiana Airlines. In a January 26, 2023, statement - the date the antitrust body was due to make a decision - the CMA said it would now decide by March 23. The issue at hand is whether the CMA will accept undertakings provided by Korean Air after saying in mid-November that it had serious reservations about the proposed merger. However, by the end of that month, the airline had provided the CMA with a series of undertakings that included making slots available at London Heathrow and Seoul Incheon to Virgin Atlantic to allow it to start flying on the UK-South Korea country pair or facilitate entry by other carriers. At the time, the CMA said these undertaking lessened their concerns about the merger causing a lessening of competition. However, in its statement, the CMA now says that "the undertakings involve the approval by the CMA of a proposed remedy taker and the terms of entry of that remedy taker. A further reason (for the extension) is that material engagement with third parties, including the proposed remedy taker, has been required. Accordingly, the CMA considers that there are special reasons for the extension." A Korean Air spokesperson told ch-aviation that they expect the CMA to complete their review on or before the new deadline. "We will continue to cooperate with all authorities involved to ensure that the review is completed at the earliest opportunity," the spokesperson said.<br/>
Singapore Airlines has launched its latest global brand campaign, which will run on television, print, digital, out-of-home, and social media platforms. Titled “Welcome to world class”, the campaign reflects the airline’s commitment to deliver an exceptional customer experience across the end-to-end travel journey. This is epitomised by SIA’s cabin crew in the 90-second campaign video, which highlights their varied and personal experiences with people and cultures from around the world. Directed by filmmaker Liz Murphy, the video was filmed in Singapore, Auckland in New Zealand, Barcelona in Spain, Mumbai in India and Shanghai in China. The airline conducted in-depth research to measure its global brand perception, and used the findings to create a campaign that aims to resonate with customers around the world. Lee Lik Hsin, executive vice president commercial, Singapore Airlines, said: “At Singapore Airlines, service excellence is deeply ingrained in our DNA and our customers are at the heart of everything we do. This campaign highlights our unwavering commitment to deliver a world-class travel experience, no matter the duration of the journey. Our award-winning cabin crew are central to this promise, with their rich and diverse experiences, as well as their dedication to customer service, having a positive impact on everyone around them.""<br/>
New Zealand’s biggest airport delayed the reopening of its international terminal Saturday because “critical components” of the infrastructure were damaged by severe flooding after a sudden summer storm. Auckland Airport reported a record 249 mm of rain in 24 hours, forcing the international and domestic terminals to halt flights on Friday afternoon. While local services have resumed, no international departures are likely to take place before 5 a.m. local time Sunday and arrivals will be delayed until 7 a.m. “Certainly the airport has never been tested in this way before,” said Carrie Hurihanganui, CEO at Auckland Airport. “Our assessment is we need more time to make sure it is all working well and more importantly, safely, before we resume international operations.” The storm that hit Auckland Friday and Saturday left the city inundated after a record amount of rain fell in 24 hours. At least three people were killed. Air New Zealand said it’s unable to resume international flights from Auckland until 12 p.m. Sunday because of significant damage to ticketing, baggage and processing equipment. “We know from midday that airport and airline operations will be back up and running, and we’ll be restarting with around three flights an hour as we ease into it,” Air New Zealand Chief Operational Integrity and Safety Officer David Morgan said. “For context, we usually operate around 13 baggage belts, but with the damage we could be down to as few as three.” Hurihanganui apologized for the “extraordinary disruption and discomfort” suffered by at least 2,000 travelers who were left stranded in the airport’s flooded buildings until the early hours of Saturday after the storm struck late Friday. On Saturday, 100 of 171 departing flights were listed as canceled on FlightRadar and 93 of 191 arrivals were scrapped. Some 40 flights were diverted to Christchurch from Auckland Friday and Saturday, including Air New Zealand services from Los Angeles, San Francisco and Vancouver.<br/>