Lufthansa has reached a compromise with Germany and the European Union over its €9 billion bailout package. While Lufthansa must give up slots, the recipients of those slots will be far less likely to harm the entrenched German carrier....
Wow: Lufthansa Board Rejects German Bailout
The Lufthansa Supervisory Board has rejected Germany’s bailout package over new EU-imposed slot restrictions. On Monday, Germany and Lufthansa agreed in principle on a €9 billion aid package. This was not a free gift, but a 4% loan with many...
Ryanair Vows To Fight “Illegal Subsidy” For Lufthansa
Never one to shy away from controversy, Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary is on the warpath after Lufthansa and Germany reached an agreement on a €9 billion aid package. Calling the aid an “illegal subsidy”, Ryanair has vowed to fight it....
Germany Will Control 20% Of Lufthansa Group In Exchange For €9 Billion Bailout
Lufthansa and Germany have agreed to a €9 billion bailout that will provide a vital lifeline to the Lufthansa Group and give the German government two seats at the table. Germany will now is a part-owner of Austrian Airlines,...
Lufthansa A380 Operations Won’t Return To Frankfurt
Lufthansa has retired seven of its 14 Airbus A380 aircraft in response to COVID-19. Now the carrier has revealed that the A380 will not return to Frankfurt. Lufthansa Faces Same A380 Issues As Other Carriers Carriers around the world...
Unbelievable: Lufthansa Spent €150 Million Restoring Historic Plane That Never Flew
We knew a decades-long process to make a Lockheed Constellation airworthy again was scrapped, but now we know how much it cost…and that amount is staggering. Lufthansa Aimed To Make Lockheed Constellation Airworthy Again Lufthansa once aimed for a...
Lufthansa Remains A Political Pawn In Bailout Debate
Another week has flown by with Germany and Lufthansa still unable to come to an agreement on a bailout. The unresolved issue remains how much control Germany should exert over Lufthansa. Yesterday, German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier said his...
Wow: Lufthansa Pilots Volunteer 45% Pay Cut For Two Years
Lufthansa pilots have volunteered to offer a 45% pay cut for more than two years in order to avoid job furloughs. It’s a tempting offer, but I’m still not sure it will work. Lufthansa Pilots Offer Surprise Concession* Without...
Lufthansa Considers Strategic Bankruptcy
As Lufthansa negotiates for a huge government bailout, it is also exploring bankruptcy as another path toward sustainability. The Süddeutsche Zeitung reports that Lufthansa is considering filing for bankruptcy. It is quickly burning through its remaining cash and finds...
German Government Debates Micromanaging Lufthansa
Lufthansa is on the cusp of receiving a massive bailout from four European governments. But with money comes coercion and the debate now shifts to how much control should be asserted over the German airline group. Lufthansa Group Poised...
Lufthansa And Cathay Pacific May Cancel 777-9 Orders
With passenger demand low and resources scarce, Cathay Pacific and Lufthansa are reportedly in talks with Boeing to defer or cancel 777-9 (777X) deliveries. Cathay Pacific Wants To Cancel 777-9 Order Cathay Pacific ordered 21 777-9 aircraft, set to...
Lufthansa Salutes New Zealand With A380 Flyover
A Lufthansa A380 performed a flyover as it departed Auckland earlier today, delighting onlookers and serving as a fitting thanks to Kiwis for all their help. Lufthansa, which prior to this point has never flown to New Zealand, has...
Lufthansa Seeks State Aid From Four Nations
Lufthansa will ask Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, and Austria for a bailout as it seeks to stabilize itself and its subsidiary carriers in a time of uncertainty. Speaking to staff, Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr said: “I am optimistic that the...
Pessimistic Lufthansa Will Retire Some 747s, A340s, A380s
Lufthansa does not see demand bouncing back for years and has responded by announcing the retirement of several longhaul and shorthaul aircraft. When I accuse my German wife of being pessimistic, she corrects me and says she is just...
Germany Backs Lufthansa Effort To Stop Issuing Refunds
The German government has endorsed Lufthansa’s argument that it cannot survive if it must issue refunds for cancelled tickets. Just last week the European Commission re-affirmed regulation that mandates airlines to promptly refund tickets for flight cancellations. Lufthansa, among...
How Lufthansa Is Fleecing Customers…Again
Lufthansa, the German airline known for strictly enforcing rules to its advantage and flouting those to its detriment, has a new way to avoid issuing refunds: leave passenger in limbo. Limbo is an uncertain period of awaiting a decision...
Lufthansa Converts Passenger Aircraft Into Cargo Plane For “Special Mission”
A very unique Lufthansa Airbus A330-300 landed in Frankfurt yesterday afternoon, not so much because of the aircraft itself, but because of what was inside. Lufthansa, like most airlines around the world, is facing dramatically reduced customer demand for...
Lufthansa Battles LOT Polish Over Condor Acquisition, Climate
Lufthansa has condemned LOT Polish Airlines’ proposed acquisition of Condor, stating that it represents “dubious, competition-distorting” state interference by Poland. In a combative charge that takes a page out of Delta’s longstanding playbook against Qatar Airways, Lufthansa labeled LOT...
Lufthansa Grounds Entire A380 Fleet. Is Air France Next?
Last week, I reported that Lufthansa was considering grounding its entire Airbus A380 fleet. It’s now official: all 14 Lufthansa A380s will soon be grounded. Who’s next? Air France? British Airways? Aero Telegraph (via OMAAT) reports it viewed an...
Lufthansa May Ground A380 Fleet, Slash Capacity By 50%
Citing unprecedented cancellations and anemic new bookings, Lufthansa is considering grounding its entire A380 fleet as it explores a massive cutback in flights. Coronavirus concerns have prompted thousands of passengers to cancel or postpone travel. The problem is so...
