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Skift • Gordon Smith

Lufthansa ramps long‑haul flying as Gulf hubs close, warning of Europe's transit vulnerability

Lufthansa is adding long‑haul services to replace connections after Gulf transit hubs closed amid the Middle East crisis. The Group has extended suspensions to Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Dammam until 10 March (Amman/Erbil until 15 March; Tel Aviv until 22 March) and says Europe's reliance on Gulf hubs is a "geopolitical Achilles' heel."

2026-03-06T03:19:16.453985-08:00

newsroom.lufthansagroup.com

Lufthansa Group posts €1.34bn net profit as EBIT rises; cargo, Eurowings and Technik underpin cautious recovery

2026-03-05T22:13:45.889487-08:00

SpaceNews.com

Eutelsat completes €5bn refinancing, closes €1.5bn bond to fund OneWeb refresh and back EU IRIS2

2026-03-06T09:19:10.584702-08:00

ch-aviation

Ryanair secures Irish High Court undertakings forcing eDreams to cease access

2026-03-06T05:53:00.928806-08:00

News Timeline

SpaceNews.com

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Eutelsat completes €5bn refinancing, closes €1.5bn bond to fund OneWeb refresh and back EU IRIS2 French satellite operator Eutelsat has closed the final step of a €5 billion refinancing package with a €1.5 billion ($1.7bn) bond issuance. The move refinances debt, improves liquidity for its OneWeb LEO constellation refresh and underpins investment in Europe’s IRIS2 sovereign connectivity programme.

2026-03-06T09:19:10.584702-08:00

Eutelsat completes €5bn refinancing, closes €1.5bn bond to fund OneWeb refresh and back EU IRIS2

NASA Spaceflight

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RFA ONE arrives in Scotland as Rocket Factory Augsburg advances UK orbital launch campaign Rocket Factory Augsburg's RFA ONE has arrived in Scotland for ground integration and launch preparations, a major milestone in progressing a UK-based orbital launch campaign. The arrival accelerates RFA's SaxaVord pad commissioning timeline and supports two RFA One flights secured under ESA's Flight Ticket Initiative.

2026-03-06T08:47:31.246456-08:00

RFA ONE arrives in Scotland as Rocket Factory Augsburg advances UK orbital launch campaign

Skift

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Europe's first eSAF plant and Siemens–CAPHENIA tie-up test bankability of power‑to‑liquid SAF On the outskirts of Frankfurt, Europe’s first eSAF plant is converting captured CO2 and green hydrogen into synthetic jet fuel, while Siemens has partnered with cleantech CAPHENIA to accelerate scale‑up. The move spotlights whether power‑to‑liquid SAF can reach bankability and volumes to meet EU mandates.

2026-03-06T07:59:56.751435-08:00

Europe's first eSAF plant and Siemens–CAPHENIA tie-up test bankability of power‑to‑liquid SAF

AeroTime

Portugal issues Europe’s first space‑vehicle re‑entry license for Azores spaceport Portugal has issued Europe’s first licence for a space‑vehicle re‑entry at the Azores Spaceport, authorising return and recovery operations for a spacecraft. The permit establishes the first national regulatory approval in Europe for re‑entry activity at a commercial spaceport.

2026-03-06T07:29:00.716226-08:00

Portugal issues Europe’s first space‑vehicle re‑entry license for Azores spaceport

ch-aviation

Qatar Executive Europe certified for US operations Qatar Executive Europe has been certified to conduct operations into the United States, authorising the Qatar Airways Group’s business-aviation unit to operate U.S. flights. The regulatory clearance lets the operator expand North American services and support corporate and private-jet customers across the region.

2026-03-06T07:19:04.114287-08:00

Qatar Executive Europe certified for US operations

Reuters

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Switzerland trims F-35 buy to about 30 jets amid rising costs, seeks European air‑defence fallback Switzerland will purchase roughly 30 Lockheed Martin F‑35A fighters, down from an initial 36, after unit‑cost increases pushed the programme over budget. The government declined to add funds to preserve procurement limits and is pursuing a complementary European air‑defence option amid Patriot production delays.

2026-03-06T06:54:51.375903-08:00

Switzerland trims F-35 buy to about 30 jets amid rising costs, seeks European air‑defence fallback

ch-aviation

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Ryanair secures Irish High Court undertakings forcing eDreams to cease access The Irish High Court has recorded binding undertakings from Spanish OTA eDreams requiring it to cease all access to Ryanair's distribution channels. The court order formalises eDreams' promise to stop selling Ryanair inventory amid an ongoing legal and regulatory battle over airline–OTA distribution practices in Europe.

2026-03-06T05:53:00.928806-08:00

Ryanair secures Irish High Court undertakings forcing eDreams to cease access

Breitflyte

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LOT begins Viasat Amara Wi‑Fi rollout on Boeing 787 long‑haul fleet LOT Polish Airlines has started installing Viasat Amara in‑flight connectivity on its Boeing 787 long‑haul fleet, with service active on one 787‑9 and two more aircraft slated for installation by the end of April. The carrier is progressing a broader fleetwide rollout to expand onboard internet access.

2026-03-06T05:47:29.892971-08:00

LOT begins Viasat Amara Wi‑Fi rollout on Boeing 787 long‑haul fleet

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Europe News

Lufthansa ramps long‑haul flying as Gulf hubs close, warning of Europe's transit vulnerability

Lufthansa Group posts €1.34bn net profit as EBIT rises; cargo, Eurowings and Technik underpin cautious recovery

Eutelsat completes €5bn refinancing, closes €1.5bn bond to fund OneWeb refresh and back EU IRIS2

Ryanair secures Irish High Court undertakings forcing eDreams to cease access

News Timeline