Miguel Praga

✈ Lufthansa's partnership with ITA Airways is likened to an adoption, set to formalize on January 13. ITA's loyalty program with 2.7 million members merges with Lufthansa's Miles & More, which has 36 million, achieving near-total integration from March 30. ITA travelers gain access to Lufthansa's 130 VIP lounges worldwide this summer, with immediate operational integration in Frankfurt and Munich. Code-sharing commences shortly, alongside schedule coordination in Frankfurt and Munich, benefitting Lufthansa. ITA will exit SkyTeam, home to Air France, on April 30 and join Star Alliance, where Lufthansa is a leading member, by early 2026.

✈ In Mallorca, a seasoned aviation manager noted the industry's irregularity and instability, highlighted by events like pandemics, fuel price hikes, wars, or aircraft model issues, like those faced by Wizz Air. Investing €10,000 in an airline's stock five years ago would result in a 60% loss today, valued at less than €4,000. This is exemplified by Easyjet, a top-performing European airline with all planes operational, yet still exemplifying the sector's volatility with a 60% value loss over five years.

💸 In winter, among European short-haul airlines, Ryanair (over 500 planes) earns money, while Easyjet (300 planes) reduces losses to 61 million, half of last year's. Wizz Air (200 planes) reports shocking losses of 241 million euros in the last three months of 2024, over 2.5 million daily. This contrasts with a 105 million loss in the same period the previous year. Wizz Air's shares initially fell 16% but later recovered to 5% below pre-announcement levels. Analysts highlight 201 million lost due to currency changes, questioning CEO Jozsef Varadi's management amidst ongoing losses since the pandemic.