Market watchers should not get "mixed up" with the idea that Lufthansa's decision to buy a stake in Latvian carrier Air Baltic is a bid for greater consolidation, the German group's chief executive Carsten Spohr has cautioned. During a webcasted press conference in Rome on 3 February, Spohr explained that the deal was instead about "strengthening and deepening" Air Baltic's position as a wet-lease provider to Lufthansa. This makes it distinct from the group's successful bid for ITA and any potential offer for Portugal's TAP, which it has rationalised as being about finding synergies across the companies and building up its hubs to connect with long-haul traffic. Air Baltic is providing Lufthansa Group with up to 21 Airbus A220-300s during the summer and five during the winter through 2025, under a deal signed in September 2024. Following the engine-maintenance issues that prompted the Latvian carrier to cancel swathes of its services this summer, Lufthansa announced on 29 January that it had paid €14 million ($14.5 million) for a 10% stake in Air Baltic. Lufthansa effected the transaction by purchasing convertible shares that can be transformed into ordinary shares during a potential Air Baltic IPO. The German group is guaranteed a minimum 5% stake. The deal is set to close in the second quarter, pending antitrust approval. Lufthansa is to gain a seat on Air Baltic's supervisory board.

European regulators have reduced their aviation security risk assessment for Israel and Iran following the Gaza ceasefire agreement. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency says conflict zone information bulletins (CZIBs) for the airspace of Israel and Iran will not be extended beyond their 31 January expiry. The decision was made by the Integrated EU Aviation Security Group in response to "the agreed ceasefire agreements and overall reduction of short-term tensions", EASA notes. An existing CZIP for Lebanon's airspace has been extended to 31 March, however. Under the expired CZIBs, EASA had advised operators not to fly in Iranian airspace at any levels, and to "implement a stringent monitoring process and risk assessment" for flights in Israel's airspace. The CZIBs will be replaced with dedicated information notes to highlight "remaining risks", the regulator says. The information notes advise operators to "exercise caution and follow all available aeronautical publications" and additionally in Iran's case to "consider daylight operations only". EASA says the information notes will be "distributed to relevant parties on a need-to-know basis to provide more operational background and recommendations". Together with the European Commission and member states, EASA will continue to monitor the situation and assess risks for EU operators "as a result of the evolution of the threat", the regulator notes.

The US Federal Aviation Administration has enacted new flight restrictions for helicopters flying in the area over the Potomac River in the vicinity of Ronald Reagan Washington National airport, effective 31 January. The restrictions added in response to the fatal mid-air collision on 29 January of a PSA Airlines MHIRJ CRJ700 and a US Army Sikorsky H-60 Black Hawk helicopter "exempts helicopters entering this airspace for life-saving medical support, active law enforcement, active air defense, or presidential transport helicopter missions that must operate in this restricted area", the FAA says. The regulator adds that the restrictions will remain in place until the National Transportation Safety Board completes its preliminary investigation of the accident, at which point it will be reviewed based on NTSB's report. "Today’s decision will immediately help secure the airspace near Reagan airport, ensuring the safety of airplane and helicopter traffic," states US transportation secretary Sean Duffy.