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Star Alliance commemorates 10 years at Heathrow Terminal 2

Together with its member airlines, Star Alliance is delighted to complete a decade of excellence at Terminal 2 – its home at Heathrow. The Queen’s Terminal has served as the base for 23 Star Alliance member airlines, facilitating smooth transfers and operations for over 15 million passengers every year, representing nearly 20% of the available seat capacity from the airport. In celebration of the occasion, Theo Panagiotoulias, Star Alliance Chief Executive Officer said: “Heathrow stands as a vital hub for our member airlines. With our collective offerings at the shared terminal, we're proud to facilitate seamless experiences for thousands of passengers daily. On behalf of our member airlines, I extend gratitude to Heathrow for its decade-long support, enabling superior traveller experiences every day and for years to come.” Under the "Move Under One Roof" strategic initiative, Star Alliance consolidated its member airlines at a single location in 2014, establishing a true alliance hub. This initiative enables passengers to easily connect between Star Alliance member airlines, significantly streamlining airport operations and enhancing the experience. Ross Baker, Chief Customer Officer, Heathrow said: “Heathrow is delighted to celebrate a decade of delivering excellent service to passengers travelling through Terminal 2, previously voted ‘Best Terminal in the World’ at the World Sky Awards by Skytrax. In collaboration with our partner airlines, including Star Alliance and its member airlines, we have seen almost 73m passengers travel through Terminal 2’s doors and enjoy the world-class retail and food and beverage options available. Reaching this landmark is an opportunity for us to enjoy looking back on a decade of achievements, while also looking ahead to the next ten years as we continue to create an extraordinary airport that is fit for the future.” (Release has more.)<br/>

23 Star Alliance airlines mark 10 years together at London Heathrow Airport Terminal 2

Star Alliance is celebrating a decade of operations at Heathrow's Terminal 2 since its 'Move Under One Roof' initiative launched in 2014. 23 member airlines currently offer over 120 daily flights to 44 destinations across more than 20 countries. The airline alliance is commemorating 10 years of calling London Heathrow Airport's (LHR) Terminal 2, or the Queen's Terminal, its home. Passengers catching flights June 4 with Star Alliance members - all 23 of them operating from Terminal 2 - will be treated to complimentary sweet treats. Theo Panagiotoulias, Star Alliance Chief Executive Officer, commented, "Heathrow stands as a vital hub for our member airlines. With our collective offerings at the shared terminal, we're proud to facilitate seamless experiences for thousands of passengers daily. On behalf of our member airlines, I extend gratitude to Heathrow for its decade-long support, enabling superior traveller experiences every day and for years to come."<br/>

Star Alliance celebrates decade of excellence at Heathrow’s Terminal 2

Star Alliance and its member airlines are thrilled to celebrate a decade of excellence at Terminal 2, their home at Heathrow. The Queen’s Terminal has been the base for 23 Star Alliance member airlines, ensuring smooth transfers and operations for over 15m passengers annually, accounting for nearly 20% of the airport’s seat capacity. In honor of this milestone, Theo Panagiotoulias, Star Alliance CEO, stated: “Heathrow remains a critical hub for our member airlines. With our collective offerings at the shared terminal, we take pride in delivering seamless experiences for thousands of passengers every day. On behalf of our member airlines, I extend our gratitude to Heathrow for a decade of support, fostering superior traveler experiences now and in the future.” As part of the “Move Under One Roof” strategic initiative, Star Alliance consolidated its member airlines at a single location in 2014, creating a true alliance hub. This initiative has made it easier for passengers to connect between Star Alliance member airlines, greatly streamlining airport operations and enhancing the overall travel experience.<br/>

United Airlines is still hiring, but it’s not adding workers as fast as it did the last 2 years

United Airlines officials say they expect to hire nearly 10,000 workers this year as U.S. air travel continues to grow, but the pace of hiring will be slower than in the previous two years partly because of delays in getting new planes from Boeing. The airline will resume hiring pilots in July after it canceled pilot classes for May and June, Kate Gebo, United’s executive vice president of human resources, said Tuesday. United discussed its hiring plans on the day that the government reported that U.S. job openings fell in April to the lowest level since 2021. The job market remains strong, however, despite high interest rates and signs that the economy is slowing. Boeing has slowed production and deliveries of new planes since a door plug blew out of a Boeing 737 Max 9 during an Alaska Airlines flight in January, leaving United and other carriers with fewer new jets than they expected. Gebo said United would have hired another 3,000 to 5,000 people this year if it had received all the Boeing jets it expected. The airline said it hired 16,000 people last year. Gebo said the Chicago-based airline has received 260,000 job applications this year, including more than 40,000 applications for 300 internships.<br/>

Lufthansa’s ITA deal hangs in the balance as EU deadline looms

The fate of Deutsche Lufthansa’s E325m investment into ITA Airways hangs in the balance as European Union regulators push the German airline to make concessions it isn’t prepared to accept. With the deal deadline just one month away the European Commission has put pressure on Lufthansa and the Italian Finance Ministry to draw up a remedy package that will help to protect competition between airlines on transatlantic routes in particular. This mirrors similar EU concerns over short-haul flights in March. However, Lufthansa isn’t prepared to reopen its joint venture with United Airlines and Air Canada to solve the EU’s issues — sparking fears that the carrier may not be able to come up with a package that meets the bloc’s demands, according to a person familiar with the matter. Uncertainty around the deal approval has prompted the Italian government to shop around for alternative solutions to keep ITA Airways afloat, including an option to have the airline as a standalone company, according to another person with knowledge of the government’s thinking. “In my opinion we should have closed six months ago,” Finance Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti said Tuesday. “Today, tomorrow, the day after tomorrow. As soon as possible because we need to understand what the future of ITA could be.” Spokespeople at the European Commission and Lufthansa didn’t immediately respond to requests to comment. A collapse of the deal engineered by the Italian government would be a significant blow for Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who came to power in 2022 on a pro-business platform. The sale of ITA is crucial for Italy’s cash short finances to avoid spending more on the company. Lufthansa’s CEO, Carsten Spohr, struck an upbeat note ahead of the formal deadline of July 4. Speaking to reporters in Dubai on Monday, Spohr said he aims to get “some indication this week” on the decision, adding that “it’s realistic to come to a solution this week.” “And since we are in a very constructive phase of the dialog, I will consider it the final phase of a constructive dialog,” Spohr said at the IATA annual general meeting. <br/>

Boeing in contention for 250-jet Turkish Airlines order

Turkish Airlines is in talks with Boeing Co. for the potential purchase of about 250 jetliners, months after locking down a major deal with European planemaker Airbus SE. Turkey’s flag-carrier is discussing target prices, commercial terms and the cost of engines for between 150-175 Boeing 737 Max, with the rest of the order made up of the larger 787 Dreamliner model, Turkish Chairman Ahmet Bolat said in an interview. The talks are at the tender phase and there’s no timeline for a final agreement, Bolat said at the International Air Transport Association annual meeting in Dubai. A Boeing spokesperson deferred comment on the order to the airline. A deal with Boeing would follow a commitment for 230 Airbus planes made in December, as Turkish aims to cement its position as a global aviation powerhouse. The carrier has said publicly for months that it wants to place a big Boeing order as it aims to almost double its fleet in the next decade. In April, Bolat said the airline was considering adding more Airbus planes instead of going ahead with the Boeing order as the US manufacturer grappled with intense scrutiny from lawmakers and regulators following a near-catastrophic blowout of a fuselage panel on a 737 Max 9 during flight in early January. <br/>

Belgium's largest airline resumes Nairobi flights after 9 years

Brussels Airlines, Belgium's primary airline and the largest carrier of the country, has made a remarkable return to Nairobi, Kenya, after a hiatus of nine years. The airline, affiliated with the Lufthansa Group and Star Alliance, landed at Kenyatta International Airport on Monday night, carrying 288 passengers. The resumption of Brussels Airlines' flights to Nairobi is a significant development welcomed by Kenya's tourism sector. David Tanki, representing the Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) Board of Directors, expressed enthusiasm over this positive step. Tanki emphasised that the return of Brussels Airlines signifies the enduring appeal of Kenya as a tourist destination, particularly among Belgian and European travelers. He highlighted the importance of European travelers, noting their significant contribution to Kenya's tourism sector. Europe stands as the second-largest source market for Kenyan tourism, with Belgium alone contributing a growing number of arrivals each year.<br/>

Riyadh Air partners with major Asian airlines to grow network

Riyadh Air has partnered with Singapore Airlines and Air China as the Saudi startup carrier grows its potential network ahead of launching commercial operations next year, the airlines said on Tuesday. Riyadh Air, which is owned by Saudi sovereign wealth fund PIF, will be a second national airline, based in the capital Riyadh, alongside existing flag carrier Saudia, which is based in Jeddah. Riyadh Air is trying to build its network through a series of bilateral partnerships and code shares rather than relying purely on its own planes, or joining a formal airline alliance. CEO Tony Douglas told Reuters Riyadh Air is seeking codeshare partners among a number of significant carriers around the world. State-owned flag carrier Air China recently started flights to Riyadh from Beijing, amid warming ties between the two countries. Potential cooperation between the airlines could include interline traffic and codeshares, a statement said. The partnership with major Asian carrier Singapore Airlines could see work on interline services, code shares, frequent flyer programs and cargo services, the statement also said.<br/>Riyadh Air last year signed a cooperation agreement with Turkish Airlines, one of the biggest carriers in the world. State-owned flag carrier Air China recently started flights to Riyadh from Beijing, amid warming ties between the two countries. Potential cooperation between the airlines could include interline traffic and codeshares, a statement said.<br/>