Deutsche Lufthansa AG will buy a 10% stake in Latvian flag carrier AirBaltic AS as the German carrier group continues its consolidation push in Europe. Lufthansa’s E14m investment will be convertible into ordinary shares when AirBaltic completes its planned initial public offering, the airlines said in a statement Tuesday. Lufthansa will receive a board seat as part of the transaction. The German carrier group has been building investments in national flag carriers with the option of later increasing ownership. This month, Lufthansa completed its purchase a 41% stake in Italy’s ITA Airways, the successor to Alitalia, adding to its existing holdings in carriers in Switzerland, Belgium and Austria. The deal is expected to close in the second quarter of 2025 and is subject to antitrust approvals. Bloomberg News previously reported on Lufthansa’s interest in AirBaltic.<br/>
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All planned travel to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is discouraged amid ongoing violence, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Wednesday. Since Monday, violence has taken over the Congolese city of Goma following its seizure by the Rwanda-backed rebel group M23, escalating an ongoing conflict. On Tuesday, several embassies in the Congolese capital Kinshasa were targeted by demonstrations against the events in Goma. The Belgium Embassy's gate was also briefly set on fire. On Tuesday, Brussels Airlines cancelled two flights to and from Kinshasa. However, on Wednesday, it announced it would resume flights from Friday, with additional security measures. "Our crews will not spend the night in Kinshasa in the coming period. Therefore, the return flight from Kinshasa to Brussels will make a technical stop in Yaoundé (Cameroon)." Over 100 people have died and 1,000 have been injured following the recent violence in Goma, according to an AFP report on Tuesday evening.<br/>
Air India will resume direct flights between Delhi and Tel Aviv from March 2, 2025, operating five times a week on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. Requisite approvals back the decision to restart airline operations between the two cities. The route will be serviced by the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, featuring 18 flat beds in Business Class and 238 spacious seats in Economy Class, promising convenient direct routes without compromising on comfort. The Delhi to Tel Aviv route will be operated by flight number AI139. The flight is scheduled to depart from Delhi at 3:55 pm, arriving in Tel Aviv at 7:25 pm. Conversely, the Delhi-bound flight has been allocated the flight number AI140. It is scheduled to depart from Tel Aviv at 9:10 pm and arrive in the national capital by 6:10 am the following day.<br/>