Deutsche Lufthansa AG has worked out differences with the Italian government over the price of ITA Airways and is on track to finalize its deal to take over the money-losing airline as soon as Monday, according to people familiar with the matter. The agreement hit a surprise snag last week when German airline asked for a discount on the E325m ($346m) price tag for a 41% stake in ITA because its value had fallen since the original 2023 accord. The Italian government resisted, pitching the transaction into uncertainty in its final stretch. The talks were near completion Monday evening with the biggest points of contention resolved, said the people, who declined to provide details. They asked not to be named discussing ongoing negotiations. Representatives for Lufthansa, Italy’s Finance Minister and ITA Airways weren’t immediately available for a comment. Selling ITA would allow Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to offload responsibility for an airline whose predecessor, Alitalia, has been a drain on state resources for decades.<br/>
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Germany's Lufthansa Group has decided to extend the suspension of its flights to Tel Aviv up to and including Dec. 15, the airline said on Monday. Lufthansa Airlines, the group's core brand, will suspend its flights up to and including Dec. 31, 2024, for operational reasons, it added.<br/>
COMAC said on Tuesday that Air China was the first customer for the Chinese planemaker's C929 widebody aircraft under development that is designed to compete with twin-aisle models from Airbus and Boeing. COMAC's deputy director of marketing, Liu Yan, made the announcement at China's biggest air show in Zhuhai. Liu did not disclose the number of aircraft that Beijing-based Air China would purchase or planned delivery dates. The aircraft maker also announced that Hainan Airlines had placed a firm order for 60 C919 narrowbody and 40 C909 regional jets. Colorful Guizhou Airlines signed a purchase agreement for 30 C909 planes, it added, 20 of which are firm and the remainder provisional. COMAC has said the C929 will have 280 to 400 seats and a range of 12,000 km, which is in the same category as Boeing's 787 Dreamliner. The C929 was renamed in 2023 from the CR929 after Russia left a China-Russia joint venture developing the aircraft. A report in April from the C929's fuselage manufacturer said it aimed to deliver the first fuselage section by September 2027. COMAC deputy general manager Tong Yu in May told a group of Hong Kong reporters in Shanghai that a C929 prototype will be seen in the near future and estimated the jet could "soon" take a test flight, according to Hong Kong newspaper Tai Kong Pao.<br/>
New Zealand regulators have approved a five-year extension for the joint venture between Cathay Pacific Airways and Air New Zealand. The alliance dates from 2013 and has been instrumental in boosting traffic between Hong Kong and New Zealand, according to a joint statement from the two carriers. “Together, we have built a robust network that not only connects New Zealanders to destinations around the world, including Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland, but also ensures convenient access for global travellers to explore New Zealand’s regions via Hong Kong,” says Michael Williams, Air NZ’s chief transformation and alliances officer. “The re-authorisation of this alliance means we can continue providing better connectivity and more travel options for our customers, which is particularly important as both markets continue to recover from the pandemic.” Frosti Lau, Cathay’s general manager for the Southwest Pacific, says that Cathay has continued to boost capacity to New Zealand. During peak months, the two carriers will operate 18 weekly return services between New Zealand and Hong Kong. This includes Cathay’s four-times weekly Christchurch-Hong Kong service, which will run from 30 October to 29 March 2025.<br/>