Star Alliance, the world’s leading global airline alliance, announced today that select member airlines offer a frequent flyer programme “status match/challenge” in Scandinavia. Members of SAS EuroBonus who hold eligible frequent flyer status can request the equivalent status in a frequent flyer programme of any of the participating Star Alliance member airlines. The offer is compelling for customers in Northern Europe who seek seamless connectivity and unmatched loyalty benefits offered by Star Alliance. Member airlines of Star Alliance operate more than 3,650 flights per month to Scandinavia from 26 hubs worldwide, offering customers connections to more than 1,070 international destinations — the most by any airline alliance. The airlines participating in the status match/challenge campaign include Air Canada, Air China, Air India, Ethiopian Airlines, Lufthansa Group airlines, South African Airways, TAP Air Portugal, THAI, Turkish Airlines, and United. Status can be matched across equivalent gold and silver tiers, as applicable. Inviting travellers who value unparalleled global connectivity to choose the world's largest airline alliance, Renato Ramos, Vice President Strategy said: "Global travellers today seek unmatched network, access to more lounges, and benefits at more airports. With its 25 world-class member airlines, only Star Alliance is best positioned to deliver these advantages to frequent flyers in the Nordic countries." Release has more.<br/>
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On September 1, SAS Scandinavian Airlines left Star Alliance and joined SkyTeam. The change came just days after Air France-KLM formalized its 19.9% shareholding in the Nordic carrier. With the Franco-Dutch group a cornerstone of SkyTeam, it was incomprehensible that SAS would remain with Star. SAS EuroBonus silver members are now recognized as SkyTeam Elite, with gold and diamond members now ‘Elite Plus’. Any previous status held through SAS with the Star Alliance disappeared overnight. But that’s not the end of the story. In a tactical move with timing very much by design rather than accident, Star is offering SAS’ best customers an opportunity that many will find hard to refuse. On September 2, Star announced that SAS EuroBonus silver and gold members can now request a like-for-like status match with many of its biggest airlines. In a thinly veiled dig at SkyTeam, Star described its offer as “compelling for customers in Northern Europe who seek seamless connectivity and unmatched loyalty benefits offered by Star Alliance.” Star issued a bullish statement on Monday morning, keen to show that it is bruised but back in the game after SAS’ departure. It highlights that even without SAS, the alliance still offers strong connectivity between Scandinavia and the world. A total of 18 Star member carriers, including the Lufthansa Group, United Airlines, and Turkish Airlines, operate more than 3,650 flights each month to the region from 26 global hubs. Star says this offers customers onward connections to more than 1,070 international destinations — the most of any airline group. SAS was a member of the Star Alliance since its inception in 1997. For his part, Anko van der Werff, SAS President and CEO described the switch to SkyTeam as “the beginning of a new era” for the Scandinavian carrier. “The partnership will open new opportunities for our passengers, expand our global network, and allow us to collaborate closely with like-minded airlines. Together, we will offer even greater value to our customers while strengthening our position in the global aviation market,” he added.<br/>
Deutsche Lufthansa AG will seek an initial 19.9% stake in Portugal’s TAP SA as part of the state-owned airline’s privatization, Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera reported Sunday, citing anonymous Portuguese institutional sources. The offer, which would keep the German airline below the minimum threshold that triggers a change of control, “should materialize no earlier than the first quarter of 2025,” and the stake could be worth E180m to E200m, Corriere said. Neither Lufthansa nor the offices of Portugal’s prime minister and minister of infrastructure commented, the Italian daily said. In July, Portugal’s government reaffirmed it plans to privatize TAP, adding that the terms of the sale are still to be defined. Air France-KLM and IAG SA, the parent company of British Airways and Iberia, have also said they may be interested in TAP. The Lisbon-based airline’s biggest attraction lies in its links to Brazil, of which it’s the biggest European provider. <br/>
Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr is meeting with Portugal's centre-right government on Monday to formally signal his company's interest in the privatisation of state-owned carrier TAP, according to three sources with knowledge of the matter. One of the sources said Lufthansa is eyeing a 19.9% stake in TAP, below the 20% threshold that would require approval from the European Commission, the EU's antitrust regulator. Portugal's government and Lufthansa both declined to comment. The meeting between Spohr and the two officials who oversee TAP Air Portugal, Finance Minister Joaquim Miranda Sarmento and Infrastructure Minister Miguel Pinto Luz, was requested by Lufthansa, a second source said. Spohr, accompanied by three others, entered the main door of the finance ministry shortly after 11 a.m. local time (1000 GMT), where the infrastructure minister had arrived earlier. The meeting comes as Portugal seeks to push ahead with the privatisation of the airline, which is fully government-owned, by the end of this year, a third source said. The source said that while the sale process is still at a very early stage, the government intends to speed it up as everything indicates that there is interest from potential buyers. The first source said Lufthansa's view is that the government may prefer them as a buyer because they would preserve TAP's autonomy, but so far the formal process has not started.<br/>
Following a thorough evaluation of conditions in the Middle East, SWISS has determined that it can safely operate flights to and from Tel Aviv. Starting Thursday, September 5, the airline will renew its daily flights to the city, utilizing its long-haul Airbus A330 aircraft. Conversely, flights to and from Beirut will continue to be on hold until the end of October, a decision driven by commercial factors. Additionally, SWISS plans to utilize airspace over Iraq and a northeastern corridor in Iranian airspace for its flight routes. The foremost concern for SWISS remains safety. The airline’s dedicated team of safety experts is vigilantly assessing the regional security environment, maintaining ongoing communications with both local and international authorities. Should there be any need to adjust flight operations due to evolving conditions, SWISS is prepared to act immediately. Passengers who have reservations on the newly reinstated flights to Tel Aviv and choose not to travel for personal reasons are eligible for a full refund for any flights scheduled on or before September 15, 2024.<br/>
EVA Air said it will take delivery of six new Boeing 787 Dreamliners in 2024 and 2025 as a global aircraft shortage is expected to continue for at least three years. "There is a shortage of materials, a shortage of people, a shortage of engines, and even a shortage of seats," according to Sun Jia-ming, EVA Airways general manager. He added that EVA Air plans to receive 47 new aircraft before 2032, per CNA. The global aircraft manufacturing supply chain is recovering slowly from a two to three-year suspension due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With air travel and cargo demand returning, the production of new aircraft has yet to keep pace. Regarding the world's two largest aircraft manufacturers, Europe's Airbus has recently lowered its delivery outlook because component supply failed to meet demand, while US-based Boeing has also reduced its delivery outlook due to the same supply chain issues.<br/>