New Italian flag carrier Italia Trasporto Aereo (ITA) has received its air operator's certificate (AOC) from the country's National Civil Aviation Authority (ENAC), crossing a key hurdle as the airline prepares to begin operations in October. "ITA can take off", comments Pierluigi Di Palma, president of ENAC. "The hope is that the new national reference company will contribute to the restart of the sector, making a decisive contribution to overcoming the difficulties deriving from the pandemic crisis. ENAC will continue in its institutional and technical task to ensure the operational start-up of ITA, ensuring compliance with public interests and the rights of passengers which are essential elements of the air transport business." ENAC adds that the issuance of the AOC confirms that the company has the "professional capacity and business organization" required to safely operate its aircraft, and is the final tranche of the necessary legal, financial and technical checks. "With the possession of the AOC and the aircraft operator license, the company can start the sale of tickets", says Alessio Quaranta, ENAC director general. In July ITA’s board and the European Commission approved the company's business plan, with the new carrier having been engaged in legal wrangling because of its position as the successor to Alitalia, including inheriting its fleet and the bulk of its other assets.

Emirates has arranged a codeshare agreement with Brazilian carrier Azul to offer seamless connections from eight cities in the country to the Middle Eastern carrier's network via Sao Paulo. The Brazilian regulator ANAC has approved the codeshare agreement, Emirates says. Through the new agreement, passengers can travel to and from Rio de Janeiro Santos Dumont, Belem, Belo Horizonte, Cuiaba, Curtiba, Juazeiro Do Norte, Porto Alegre and Recife on Azul flights to Emirates' services from Sao Paulo to Dubai and beyond. Emirates currently operates five weekly flights from Dubai to Sao Paulo with Boeing 777-300ER's, it says. The Middle Easter carrier notes it has codeshare co-operations with 21 airlines and two rail companies.

The Latvian government has approved an additional investment of €90 million ($105 million) into Air Baltic’s equity to compensate for the economic damage it sustained due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The flag carrier says the investment was approved by the government, the majority shareholder of the airline, on 17 August. It is now subject to the approval of the European Commission. The investment will be returned to the government in form of proceeds from selling shares during a planned initial public offering of the airline in the future, Air Baltic chief executive officer Martin Gauss states. The carrier used the equity received in 2020 to maintain its operations and cover expenses amid the pandemic. Air Baltic is a strategic facilitator of the Latvian economy and is responsible for more than 2.5% of the country’s GDP.