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 serious that Lufthansa may cut flights by up to 50%, including on Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, and SWISS. It is also considering grounding its entire A380 fleet on a temporary basis. A press release warns:
Depending on the further development of demand, capacity is to be reduced by up to 50 percent in the coming weeks. These capacity adjustments apply to all passenger airlines in the Lufthansa Group.
In addition, the extent to which the entire Airbus A380 fleet (14 aircraft) can be temporarily taken out of service in Frankfurt and Munich is currently being examined.
Lufthansa claims “this measure is designed to reduce the financial consequences of the slump in demand.” This comes on top of a Lufthansa’s hiring freeze and suspension of several projects. Lufthansa is also encouraging its employees to take voluntary level and working on a part-time program that would avoid job cuts (and the union protests that would likely accompany them).
CONCLUSION
With demand all but dried up and planes going out mostly empty, it is not surprising Lufthansa may ground its superjumbo jet. In the days ahead, we will see just how drastic Lufthansa’s actions will be.
Ouch—I’m scheduled to fly on a LH A380 BOS>MUC in mid-April, followed by a short hop MUC>VCE. I had planned to go and revel in Venice sans crowds, but it sounds like LH has other plans. 🙁
Would LH typically just cancel my flights and give me a refund, or will they proactively try to rebook me, seeing as how I’m apparently one of the few Americans willing to brave a trip to Italy? One wrinkle is that it’s actually a codeshare on 016 stock.
Eric, I suspect they will consolidate the Boston fights onto a 747-8 or A340.
Thanks for your reply! Though after today’s news about the entire north of Italy potentially being off-limits to tourists for weeks, maybe the writing is on the wall and we should head to Scotland instead….
You won’t be getting anywhere near the north of Italy for the next month. Scotland?! Good luck with that. Cases in the UK (and the US) will explode this week.
You may well be right. I’m beginning to hope UA/LH cancels our flights so we can just get a refund and be done with it.
A few days ago German Health Minister Jens Spahn said in the German parliament that COVID19 is a ‘P’andemic. I believe it’s the first time any health minister/country declared it as such. Cases in Germany continue to rise, second behind Italy. German sentiment is becoming now very worrisome, not just among businesses, but among the native inhabitants (I have relatives there, and they too notice the increased panic buying at grocery stores and the wary look people have on public transport.) This is big news for the aviation industry. This global pathogen will have a big shake out. The landscape will look different when – when – it is over. Another month or two of that this horrendous contagion puts off people from flying will be truly very devastating to the industry worldwide. Like others, I have received emails from various airlines reassuring on this and that. Everyone can decide their own risk level. For now, I’m staying put; I canceled a refundable TATL trip. Good luck to those who continue to fly the not so friendly skies in the weeks ahead. The virus may ease this summer, but it is instructive to understand this: Consider with the 1918 Spanish Influenza that it was the eruption of the second wave, after a summer lull, in the autumn of 1918 that caused the greatest toll. I mention this as I read it a few days ago written in a medical journal by a virologist who writes that the Novel Coronavirus has a possibility of playing out in a similar manner.