The European Commission has approved the Latvian government's plans to invest €45 million ($51 million) into Air Baltic's equity in order to compensate for the economic damage it sustained due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The investment will be returned to the government in the form of proceeds from the planned initial public offering of the airline, Air Baltic’s chief executive Martin Gauss says. In August, the Latvian government, the majority shareholder of Air Baltic, approved plans to invest €90 million into the equity of the flag carrier. The remaining investment of €45 million is still subject to the approval of the European Commission, the executive branch of the EU. “The support of our majority shareholder to overcome the crisis reflects the recognition of the positive impact Air Baltic has on the economy,” Gauss adds. Air Baltic highlights that it is a "strategic facilitator" of the Latvian economy, responsible for more than 2.5% of the country’s GDP.

Qatar Airways has become the first airline to make a carbon transaction on IATA’s aviation carbon exchange (ACE) platform using the global airline trade group’s clearing house (ICH). With this transaction, the flag carrier says it benefits from the IATA settlement systems and clearing house for “seamless and risk-free settlement of funds”. Powered by CBL Markets, the ACE platform is a centralised marketplace where airlines and other aviation stakeholders can trade CO2 emission reduction units for compliance or voluntary offsetting purposes. The initiative enables opportunities to simplify processes to ensure the successful implementation of Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) adopted by the International Civil Aviation Organization, while also supporting the successful implementation of voluntary offsetting programmes, the Middle Eastern carrier says. Qatar Airways’ group chief executive Akbar Al Baker states: “We welcome the use of the IATA aviation carbon exchange, as it enables airlines to invest in CORSIA eligible emission reduction units, further supporting Qatar Airways’ commitment to invest in a low-carbon future, while reducing our financial risk.” Recently, IATA approved a resolution for the global air transport industry to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Singapore has paused new ticket sales for inbound vaccinated travel lane (VTL) flights arriving between 23 December and 20 January, as a "proactive and pre-emptive" response to the Omicron variant. Beyond the four-week period, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) will cap inbound flights from 21 January at 50% of the allocated quota. "Given the rapid spread of the Omicron variant overseas, CAAS will take proactive and pre-emptive steps to manage the inflow of VTL travellers and mitigate the risk to the Singapore community, while we observe and assess the emerging situation," the regulator says in a statement today. "Additional safeguards will also be implemented to protect frontline airport workers and air crew." A government advisory published today states that inbound travellers on flights booked before 22 December will be allowed to enter the country. These measures also apply to Singapore's land VTL with neighbouring Malaysia. Singapore established VTLs with 27 countries and regions, including three to the Middle East – with Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates – that are deferred until further notice. Active VTL destinations include the USA, Canada, UK, France, Germany; in Asia-Pacific, the destinations include Australia, India, South Korea as well as neighbouring Indonesia and Malaysia.