AIR FRANCE confirmed yesterday lunchtime that it would not be pursuing a bid for ITA Airways - the successor brand to Italian flag carrier Alitalia - with Lufthansa expected to step in instead.

The German carrier said it had offered to buy an initial minority stake, saying Italy was its most important market outside of its home markets and the US.

ITA is in the process of being privatised, with a December decree dictating the sale of a minority stake ahead of a larger transaction.

Elsewhere on the continent,

Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport will end passenger number limits in

March - ahead of the busy Easter getaway period.

It cut capacity by a fifth last year amid chaotic scenes at a host of European airports as staffing failed to keep up with increased 'rebound' demand post-pandemic.

Airlines are pushing airports to staff up ahead of what is expected to be a record summer.

(c) 2023 City A.M., source Newspaper