The European Union Aviation Safety Agency has advised operators to avoid Russian airspace "at all flight levels" west of longitude 60 degrees east. The airspace affected by a new EASA conflict zone information bulletin (CZIB) spans the Moscow, Rostov-on-Don, St Petersburg, Ekaterinburg and Samara flight information regions. EASA says that the recommendation applies to EU carriers and third-country operators that are conducting flights to or from European airspace. Western airlines have been banned from flying in Russian airspace since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. But EASA observes that "a number of third-country carriers continue to do so, despite the war-related risks". The conflict "poses the risk of civil aircraft being unintentionally targeted in the airspace of the Russian Federation, due to possible civil-military co-ordination deficiencies, and the potential for misidentification", the regulator says. "In particular, the activation of Russian air defence systems, capable of operating at all altitudes, in response to Ukrainian missile and drone launches, which have extended deep inside Russian territory, may have a direct impact on flight operations at several locations, including major international airports." EASA cites the Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 crash near Kazakh city Aktau on 25 December and indicates that more aircraft have been subjected to "high risk to flight operations". "Most of the incidents have occurred in airspace not closed by the Russian Federation during drone attacks or activation of air defence systems." The EU regulator accuses Russia of having "not demonstrated full proficiency to address existing airspace risks by implementing an efficient and proactive approach to the airspace deconfliction". "As a result, there are limited mitigating factors, on which air operators can rely at present," EASA adds, noting that satellite navigation system spoofing and jamming are present, particularly around conflict zones and sites targeted by drone launches. EASA says that the new CZIB replaces a previous bulletin that was issued in 2022 and advised operators not to use Ukrainian airspace. The CZIB is valid until 31 July, with EASA saying that it will "closely monitor the situation [to] assess whether there is an increase or decrease of the risk".

Lufthansa Group plans to recruit around 10,000 new employees this year across a range of professions. The group says it will need more than 2,000 flight attendants, over 1,400 ground staff, and around 1,300 technical experts, with more than half of all recruitment taking place in Germany. Around 1,200 employees are also being sought for administration, plus 800 pilots. It notes that over 2,000 employees are to start at Lufthansa Technik, with Austrian Airlines and Eurowings each looking for around 700 employees. Lufthansa mainline will continue to focus on its turnaround efficiency programme in 2025 and expects to hire fewer employees than in 2024, with plans to recruit around 1,200 people over the next 12 months. Over the past three years, Lufthansa Group has brought more than 30,000 employees on board. It currently employs more than 100,000 people in over 90 countries.

Air Baltic has conducted a certification test flight of SpaceX's Starlink high-speed internet aboard an Airbus A220-300. The flight, departing from its home base in Riga, tested both the Starlink aero terminal and internet connection quality as it progresses towards obtaining certification from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), the Latvian carrier says. "This is a game-changer in the future of air travel, and the test flight brings us one step closer to revolutionising the travel experience for our passengers," says Air Baltic president and chief executive Martin Gauss. "We are thrilled to lead the way in Europe and be the first airline in this region to offer for free Starlink's reliable, high-speed internet. By integrating Starlink, we are set to elevate the travel experience for passengers across the airBaltic network throughout Europe and beyond." Air Baltic is working with Starlink to secure the necessary supplemental type certification (STC), which is further to be approved by EASA. The airline expects to begin installing Starlink on its single-type fleet of A220-300s in the first quarter of 2025.