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ITA Airways will restore flights between Italy and Libya as of next year, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Tuesday. "I am proud to announce today that ITA Airways will return to connect our two countries as of January 2025," Meloni told an Italy-Libya business forum in Tripoli. Germany's Lufthansa in July won European Union antitrust approval to buy 41% of state-owned ITA, which replaced the loss-making flagship airline Alitalia in 2021.<br/>

Emirates has signed two separate memorandums of understanding (MoU) with Vietnamese operators Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet, as it looks to grow its presence in the Southeast Asian nation. With Vietnam Airlines, Emirates is looking to expand its current interlining co-operation to more routes, as well as to add frequent flyer programme benefits. The two carriers first entered into a partnership in 1994, with a bilateral interlining network now comprising 37 points in Vietnam Airlines’ network, and 12 cities in Emirates’ network. “The co-operation allows us to unleash the combined power of our networks as Vietnam Airlines seeks to leverage our international presence and provide our passengers with enhanced flexibility and convenience,” says Vietnam Airlines executive vice president Nguyen Chien Thang. Both airlines will also explore potential partnerships in cargo and technical services, as part of the MoU. Meanwhile, Emirates will explore “joint initiatives” with low-cost operator Vietjet to boost commercial co-operation. “The MoU will further aim to enhance connectivity to popular destinations in VietJet’s domestic and regional network via Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Danang, among others, while offering VietJet customers increased access to Emirates’ global network via its Dubai hub on a single itinerary and one baggage policy,” says the Gulf carrier.<br/>