Latin American airline Avianca is on a growth tear to the U.S. this year, making good on its year-end promise to add at least five new routes to Florida. The Star Alliance carrier will connect Guatemala City's La Aurora International Airport (GUA) and Miami International Airport (MIA) daily starting May 10. Avianca will fly an Airbus A320 with up to 180 seats on the route. Schedules from aviation analytics firm Cirium show that the route is Avianca's fifth to the U.S. from Guatemala City and its sixth systemwide so far in 2025. Other new links include Bogota's El Dorado International Airport (BOG) to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and Tampa International Airport (TPA) and Medellin's Jose Maria Cordova International Airport (MDE) to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL). The airline that restructured under Chapter 11 bankruptcy during the pandemic is growing to the U.S. at an impressive clip. In the first half of the year, seats are scheduled to increase 9% year-over-year, Cirium data shows. That follows a 25% jump in seats in 2024. While Avianca has grown across the U.S., Florida figures highly in its U.S. expansion. Seats to the Sunshine State are scheduled to increase 19% year-over-year in the first half of 2025, or about a quarter compared to 2019.<br/>
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Europe's major airlines are targeting smaller deals and tie-ups after facing regulatory push-back against full mergers, focusing on minority stakes to strengthen their position against rivals. Reuters spoke with two airline executives and others with knowledge of ongoing deals, who said they were pivoting towards smaller stakes to cut expenses and time spent on additional regulatory scrutiny. The trend towards more bite size deals and tie-ups marks a shift for the region's carriers, which are trying to unify a fragmented market to compete with rivals in a more consolidated U.S. market and state-funded behemoths in the Middle East. There has been a flurry of smaller deals. Last month Lufthansa took a 10% stake in Latvian carrier airBaltic for E14m to improve its wet lease partnership, an arrangement allowing it to more easily share aircraft, pilots and crew. Air France-KLM and Lufthansa have expressed interest in taking around a 20% stake in Spain's Air Europa, sources told Reuters, after British Airways-owner IAG dropped a full takeover plan in 2024 after years of talks. Air France-KLM and Lufthansa either declined or did not respond to Reuters requests for comment. The stake is valued at E200-240m, according to one source. Portuguese carrier TAP - still a potential target for a full takeover and valued at about $1b - is now in talks to finalise the sale of a less than 50% stake. It has attracted interest from various European airlines, including Air France-KLM, whose CEO said last week that it was ready to present its pitch for the airline's partial privatisation. "There does seem to be somewhat of a shift towards taking smaller stakes in target airlines in Europe at present," said Dudley Shanley, Dublin-based analyst at Goodbody, adding though he still expects consolidation of the market to happen. "The smaller stakes reduce the regulatory burden and scrutiny in the near term, though they also reduce the ability to extract both revenue and cost synergies." European regulators are worried major takeovers will lead to higher air fares and hit consumers, a concern which stymied the IAG-Air Europa deal. Germany's Lufthansa did finally seal a E325m deal to take a 41% stake in Italian carrier ITA Airways in January, but talks with Brussels over remedies took over a year.<br/>
Deutsche Lufthansa said Alexis von Hoensbroech will join its supervisory board, a move that could position the head of Canadian airline WestJet as a potential successor to longtime CEO Carsten Spohr. The German airline said von Hoensbroech, 54, has been put forward for election at its annual general meeting on May 6, succeeding former Airbus SE CEO Tom Enders, who is stepping down at his own request. Lufthansa also confirmed that Astrid Stange, Angela Titzrath, and Erich Clementi will stand for reelection to the board for another three-year term. Von Hoensbroech, who previously led Lufthansa subsidiary Austrian Airlines, has been touted as a possible contender to take over from Spohr, who has helmed Lufthansa for a decade. Spohr’s tenure has seen the airline navigate the coronavirus pandemic, a state bailout and subsequent recovery, as well as major fleet and network restructuring. Lufthansa has yet to announce a timeline for Spohr’s departure, but the board appointment could offer von Hoensbroech a closer seat at the table as the airline group considers its future leadership. Other potential candidates include senior executives within Lufthansa’s ranks, although few rival von Hoensbroech’s experience of having led a major airline. A leadership transition at Lufthansa would come as Europe’s airline industry faces mounting challenges, from high fuel and labor costs to regulatory hurdles and shifting competition from low-cost carriers and Gulf airlines. The carrier is also integrating ITA Airways into its stable of airlines after getting clearance to buy a stake in the successor to Alitalia, <br/>
German aviation group Lufthansa Group is banking on aviation growth in Asia and Thailand to expand its flights, in addition to non-airline businesses. "Thailand is not only a tourism destination, but also a very interesting destination for other elements of business," Carsten Spohr, CE of Lufthansa Group, told the Bangkok Post. Spohr said cargo demand out of Thailand is increasing, while Asia-Pacific is the fastest growing market for maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) activities. He said the group is looking for new customers or partners for its Lufthansa Technik MRO business, which now serves the Royal Thai Air Force. For the group's airline business, Bangkok is the destination with the largest number of flights, with more than 10,000 seats a week from 27 flights a week operating from its hubs in Europe, including the recent addition of Rome via ITA Airways, a company in which Lufthansa has a 41% stake. Roughly one-third of passengers on flights bound for Bangkok transfer to other domestic destinations as well as cities elsewhere in Asia. Lufthansa has extended its double-decker Airbus A380 services from Munich to Bangkok for an additional month to cover the Songkran holiday period in April due to robust demand. The airline also plans to fly A380s on this route during the winter schedule from October, he said. The new "Lufthansa Allegris" cabin design in new aircraft serving long-haul flights should be introduced in Thailand next year, having been rolled out on flights serving Shanghai and Mumbai.<br/>
ANA has been named 2025 ATW Airline of the Year with winners be celebrated 51st annual Air Transport World Airline Industry Achievement Awards Gala Dinner in New Delhi in May. The ATW Airline Industry Achievement Awards recognise excellence across airline operations and are widely considered the most coveted in the air transport industry. Tokyo-based All Nippon Airways (ANA), a Star Alliance carrier, was selected for the top Award due to its strong financial performance, innovative management leadership, commitment to ever-improving customer experience, and dedication to aviation sustainability. ANA President and CEO Shinichi Inoue said, “Receiving the Airline of the Year Award is a testament to ANA’s unwavering commitment to safety, innovation and exceptional customer service delivered daily by our dedicated employees.” Other award recipients include Airlines for America (A4A) President and CEO Nicholas E. Calio (Lifetime Achievement), Cathay Pacific (Eco-Airline), Cathay Cargo (Cargo Operator), Scoot (Value Airline), Sun Country (Airline Market Leader), Qatar Cargo (Humanitarian Force for Good, given in partnership with non-profit Airlink) and airBaltic Chairman and CEO Martin Gauss (Joseph S. Murphy leadership excellence). Scoot CEO Leslie Thng said, “We are honoured to be named ‘Value Airline of the Year’ for the second consecutive year, a recognition that reaffirms our position as the leading value airline in the region and inspires us to continue setting new industry benchmarks. This achievement is a testament to the dedication and teamwork of the entire Scoot team.”<br/>
Air New Zealand announced on Thursday that CEO Greg Foran will step down in October after five years at the helm, as the airline navigates global supply chain disruptions and ongoing engine maintenance challenges. Foran, a former Walmart executive, has led the Kiwi flag carrier through a turbulent period, with the airline facing unique hurdles compared to its global peers, partly due to its geographic isolation. New Zealand's relatively small domestic market and intense competition from Australian rivals Qantas Airways and Virgin Australia have intensified the airline's challenges. Joining Air New Zealand just as the COVID-19 pandemic loomed, Foran tackled a series of crises, from persistent shortages of engine components to the recent grounding of up to 11 aircraft. He also spearheaded a retrofit program for the airline's Dreamliner fleet, which is set for completion later this year. The company's chair, Dame Therese Walsh, hailed Foran's contribution in managing the significant global supply chain challenges. "While these challenges impact our operations almost daily, Greg's relentless focus and global profile have been instrumental in mitigating the consequential disruptions on our customers", said Walsh. The company has not yet named a successor but confirmed that a global search for a new CEO is underway.<br/>
Star Alliance member Air New Zealand and The New Terminal One at New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) have announced a new partnership, marking the next chapter of the airline’s operations at the airport. This partnership is set to elevate the customer experience for passengers traveling on Air New Zealand’s flagship Auckland – New York City route, currently operating three times a week on the airline’s Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner fleet. Currently operating at JFK’s existing Terminal 1, Air New Zealand will move its operations to the New Terminal One upon its scheduled opening in 2026 alongside other Star Alliance members. Clocking in at more than 17 hours, the Auckland-JFK route is one of the world’s longest flights. Launched by Air New Zealand in 2022, the nonstop service bypasses a transit stop while traversing the globe. Air New Zealand joins a growing group of international airlines that have committed to operating out of the New Terminal One.<br/>