AELF has acquired an Airbus A330-300 on lease from South African Airways (SAA). In a LinkedIn post, the lessor announced the deal to buy the widebody (MSN 1754) at the ISTAT Americas conference and says it was arranged by Arena Aviation Capital. Fleets data shows that the jet, which is powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 772 engines, was previously managed by Aergo Capital. The 2016-build aircraft was originally operated by SAA, but was returned in 2020 and briefly operated between February 2022 and August 2023 with Airhub Airlines before returning to operations with the South African carrier in February 2024.

IAG is waiting for the Portuguese government to unveil its privatisation conditions for state-owned TAP Air Portugal before deciding whether to press ahead with an acquisition. During an annual-results webcast, IAG chief executive Luis Gallego said the group was "following the process" with the Portuguese authorities and observed that it "looks like" further conditions would be revealed in March. "When we have that, we will take a decision." With acquisitions, he adds, the aim is to find targets that can "help the group" access markets where it lacks a strong presence, such as Brazil, a TAP stronghold. IAG has long coveted TAP's South Atlantic routes, which, it believes, could slot in with its established connections to Europe with Iberia, centred on Madrid. "We need to see the conditions, the freedom we can have to manage the company," Gallego stresses, stating his intention to bring the margins of any acquisition into line with the 12-16% that IAG has achieved with its current set of companies. "I think in maybe six weeks we will have a more clear idea," he says. Air France-KLM and Lufthansa have also signalled interest in acquiring TAP, although it is uncertain what conditions the Portuguese government will impose on a transaction, or what size of stake it is willing to offload.

KLM has begun constructing an extension of its pilot training centre at Amsterdam Schiphol airport, to accommodate simulators for an incoming Airbus fleet. The new facility, called "The Link" – in reference to first-generation flight simulators with that name – will have space for five simulators for Airbus A321neo and A350 jets. It will be used to train pilots for KLM and low-cost subsidiary Transavia and is scheduled to become operational by mid-2026, the Dutch airline says. It adds that the group's pilot number will grow to 4,000 over coming years, from 3,000 today. Cirium fleets data shows that Transavia's first A321neo was delivered in 2023 and KLM's last year. The two carriers have since received another six and three A321neos, respectively, from an order of up to 160 single-aisles, to replace their fleets of Boeing 737NGs. In the long-haul arena, KLM plans to introduce A350s to replace A330s and 777s. Air France-KLM in 2023 ordered 50 A350s, spanning both the -900 and -1000 variants, and took options on another 40. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2026.