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Italian government talks with Lufthansa over the latter acquiring stake in national airline ITA Airways appear to have come to fruition amid widespread reports that a deal could be announced on 25 May. The German airline group began talks in late January with the Italian finance ministry over a move to acquire, initially a minority stake, in ITA. The talks also covered the option for Lufthansa to ultimately acquire a majority stake in the airline. Those talks have since been extended past initial deadlines, with a Lufthansa spokesman noting earlier this month that it remained in “intensive talks” with the Italian finance ministry. Italian daily La Repubblica is among the Italian media to report that a deal is set to be announced on Thursday. That is likely to cover Lufthansa taking a 40% stake in ITA initially, but with options to take full-control within two years. Lufthansa previously struck a similar two-stage deal in acquiring Brussels Airlines, one of several airline additions within the group. Lufthansa also counts Italian regional Air Dolomiti, Austrian Airlines and Swiss International Air Lines among the wider group. The carrier’s chief executive Carsten Spohr has flagged the importance of adding a southern European hub to the group in previously explaining its interest in ITA. Lufthansa has long shown interest in the Italian market, it’s biggest foreign market after the USA. It has previously been among potential suitors of ITA’s predecessor Alitalia and operated a short-lived Lufthansa Italia brand out of Milan, in addition to having acquired northern Italy regional Air Dolomiti.<br/>

Singapore Airlines (SIA) has closed its office in Moscow, more than a year after flights to the city were suspended indefinitely. An SIA spokesman told The Straits Times on Wednesday that the “effective closure date” of the Moscow office was May 15. The spokesman did not provide details on the closure, but said that the airline would continue to be represented in Russia by its general sales agent Aviareps. SIA had announced the suspension of return services from Moscow on Feb 28, 2022, citing “operational reasons”. This came four days after Russia began its invasion of Ukraine on Feb 24.<br/>

Singapore Airlines has announced it’s bringing back its flagship double-decker Airbus A380 to Auckland. It has also announced additional services to Christchurch to help cater for the peak travel demand at the end of the year. The return of the 471-seat superjumbo will replace the A350-900, adding another 1526 seats a week between Singapore and Auckland. When it touches down in November, it’ll be the first time Singapore Airlines has flown the aircraft to New Zealand since 2020, after Covid-19 suspended services. It’s the second airline to fly an A380 into New Zealand, with Emirates using it on its long-haul Auckland to Dubai route, and in March, began flying it into Christchurch. Singapore Airlines General Manager New Zealand George Robertson said the return of the popular A380 underlined the airline’s commitment to serving the New Zealand market. “For close to 50 years, SIA has operated to Aotearoa helping to keep the country connected to the world,” Robertson said. “Re-deploying our A380 to Auckland to help meet the demand for travel during the busy year-end period, reinforces our commitment to New Zealand.<br/>

Air India has announced a refresh of its 'Flying Returns' (FR) frequent flyer program. Members can fast-track tier upgrades with just 50% of the usual qualifying points for a limited time. The Indian airline's FR program has benefited from several changes to become what Air India deems "the most rewarding airline loyalty programme" in the country. The big news is that flyers can fast-track tier status upgrades or membership renewals using only 50% of their points for a limited time. FR members will access benefits with 25 Star Alliance airlines, including over 1 lakh (100,000) redemption seats monthly and points earned on Air India and partner airline flights. Nipun Aggarwal, Chief Commercial Officer, said, "As we continue to transition to a global best aviation loyalty programme, we wanted to have many more of our members experience the benefits of India’s oldest and largest loyalty programme, at a time when we have significantly improved the member experience and continue to make further improvements. We are committed to the needs and preferences of our passengers and will continue to deliver innovative programmes and products to enhance our members’ experience."<br/>