German carrier Eurowings has put into scheduled service its first Airbus A320neo, powered by CFM International Leap engines. The narrowbody (registered D-AENA) made its first commercial flight from Dusseldorf to Palma de Mallorca in Spain, the Lufthansa low-cost subsidiary says. It adds that it will initially use the aircraft on routes from Dusseldorf to Malaga, Palma de Mallorca and Barcelona in Spain; Athens in Greece; Berlin, Dresden, Hamburg and Munich in Germany; Budapest in Hungary; Geneva and Zurich in Switzerland; Lisbon in Portugal; Lyon in France; Milan in Italy; Prague in the Czech Republic; and Vienna in Austria. The introduction of the aircraft is part of Eurowings' "wide-ranging activities and measures to significantly reduce aircraft noise and carbon emissions", it says. Following an introductory phase, the A320neo will also be deployed on flights from Hamburg airport. Eurowings says it is scheduled to receive six more A320neos this year and another one in 2024. The airline also expects to take deliveries of five A321neos in 2023.

Qatar Airways has secured an expedited trial and early disclosure in legal proceedings against Airbus in the UK High Court related to the surface degradation issue affecting its A350 aircraft. The expedited trial will provide a swift resolution of this unprecedented dispute, the Doha-based carrier says. It will also be able to get an insight into the true nature of surface degradation affecting the A350s and the cause of damage.

Lufthansa and French shipping company MSC submitted a joint bid to purchase new Italian airline ITA Airways ahead of a deadline of midnight on 23 May, the German group has confirmed. Reuters is reporting that a rival approach has been made by Air France-KLM, Delta Air Lines and US investment firm Certares. In a statement, Lufthansa says it and MSC submitted their approach ahead of the deadline but does not comment further. Lufthansa chief executive Carsten Spohr has previously disclosed that the group was evaluating the new carrier's data. ITA was formed out of defunct Italian flag carrier Alitalia, taking on much of its fleet, network and staff. Spohr, speaking March, sought to allay fears that an investment in ITA could become a drain on cash resources, Alitalia having required frequent injections of liquidity from the Italian government. Spohr argued that ITA was a reformed business. "We know what we are doing in Italy, don't worry," he said during a results presentation. "I hear my shareholders – don't worry, we know there is a legacy." ITA's fleet spans around 50 aircraft, data shows, compared with Alitalia's 80, while staff numbers have been slashed. Lufthansa has said it sees Italy as its second most important market after Germany. Meanwhile, SkyTeam members Air France-KLM and Delta are reported by Reuters to have teamed up with US investment group Certares on a rival bid for ITA. Delta and Air France-KLM, which is 5.6% owned by the US carrier, have agreed codeshare deals with ITA. An approach involving New York-based Certares would tally with the group's wider strategy of investing in the travel and tourism sectors. Certares currently holds positions in LATAM Airlines and Brazilian airline Azul, as well as Avia Solutions Group. "Our investing activities focus on several key sectors, including travel and tourism, hospitality, business and consumer services," it says on its website. The parties did not respond to a request for comment. Italian economy minister Daniele Franco told the country's parliament earlier this month that the government planned to privatise ITA through a direct sale while retaining a minority, non-controlling stake, according to Euronews. Any buyer must be at least 51% European-owned. "The outcome of the negotiations is not a foregone conclusion. We will examine the three offers in a transparent way. There is no decision on our part at present," Franco was quoted as saying. EU rules state that Italy can provide up to €1.35 billion ($1.44 billion) into ITA by 2023. The state provided €700 million in 2021 and set to inject a further €400 million this year and €250 million in 2023.