SkyTeam has announced changes to its lounge access rules, which affect business, first-class, and Elite Plus members. Lounge access on entirely domestic itineraries has not previously been a SkyTeam Elite Plus benefit, unlike with Oneworld and Star Alliance, but this will change on April 1, 2025. Elite Plus members on domestic itineraries can access select lounges from April 1, 2025, and more lounges will be eligible in the future. The new rules state that the SkyTeam Elite Plus member’s guest must be traveling on the same flight previously wasn’t in the rules. There is now a 3-hour limit before the scheduled departure time for accessing the lounge. Note that this doesn’t affect connecting itineraries.<br/>
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Italy's ITA Airways said on Monday it would resume flights between Rome and Tel Aviv, starting Feb. 1, after a four-month suspension triggered by conflicts in the Middle Eastern region. Connections "will be gradually resumed, initially with one daily frequency and, from Feb. 16, with an additional nighttime flight, subject to the evolution of the geopolitical scenario," the company said in a statement. Flight connections by several airlines between Europe and the Middle East are picking up following Sunday's entry into force of a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. Last week Germany's Lufthansa, which is fresh from finalising a deal to take a 41% stake in ITA Airways, also said it and its associated airlines would resume flying to and from Tel Aviv from Feb. 1.<br/>
Groupe ADP, which manages three of Paris' main airports, pushed back on Monday against accusations by the head of Air France-KLM that other airlines received better treatment at its Charles De Gaulle Airport hub. ADP said in a statement that the activity of other airlines, many of which operate only a few daily flights, was not comparable to that of Air France-KLM. In an interview with Le Parisien newspaper published on Monday, Air France-KLM CEO Benjamin Smith said: "We are treated worse than foreign companies, even though the state is the majority shareholder of ADP!" He said that while foreign airlines were able to disembark and embark directly to and from the airport buildings 100% of the time, Air France-KLM's terminal had that capacity only 85-90% of the time. ADP said it was surprised by Smith's comments, adding that it was working with the airline to meet the competitiveness challenges of the hub and allow airplanes at the terminal to disembark and embark directly nearly all the time.<br/>