Lufthansa mulls “strategic” sale of Technik stake in 2023

Lufthansa CityLine completes E195 phase-out

Lufthansa registers new subsidiary, dismisses 281 pilots

Two options on the table for Italy’s ITA Airways

The deadline for submitting binding offers for Alitalia heir ITA Airways (AZ, Rome Fiumicino) expired at midnight on Monday, May 23. However, as part of the bid widely seen as having the best chance, Lufthansa (LH, Frankfurt Int'l) has reportedly halved its interest to a 20% stake.

According to local media, insiders confirmed reports that emerged earlier this month, that two offers for ITA are on the table at Italy’s Ministry of Economy and Finance: a consortium made up of Lufthansa and shipping giant MSC, and US-based investment fund Certares, which is reportedly working with Air France-KLM and Delta Air Lines (DL, Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson).

A third interested party, low-cost-carrier investor Indigo Partners, another US fund, appears to have withdrawn, the reason reportedly being that European Union legislation requires that the majority shareholder of a European airline be based in Europe and Indigo had not managed to find a suitable partner.

In the privatisation process, it is expected that the government will retain a minority stake of...

Turkish Airlines orders six A350-900s

Turkish Airlines (TK, Istanbul New) has ordered six A350-900s from Airbus with delivery slots in 2022 and 2023.

The carrier did not disclose any further information in its one-line investor update. The imminent delivery timings have sparked widespread speculation that six units are those not taken up by Aeroflot (SU, Moscow Sheremetyevo) due to European sanctions banning the export of aircraft to Russia. Turkish Airlines did not respond to ch-aviation's request for comment.

The Turkish carrier's widebody fleet comprises thirteen A330-200s, thirty-seven A330-300s, six A350-900s (with twenty more - including the newly added six - on firm order), thirty-three B777-300(ER)s, and fifteen B787-9s.

Aeroflot has firm orders for thirteen A350-900s (on top of nine already delivered). Lufthansa (LH, Frankfurt Int'l) has openly admitted that it was in talks about taking over at least some of these orders as Airbus is unable to deliver them.