Lufthansa to fly less and with smaller planes
Fearing an economic downturn, Germany’s flagship airline Lufthansa is cutting flights and capacity, the company announced on Thursday.
“We are removing part of the anticipated additional capacity out of planning, in that we are reducing frequency, cutting some connections, and using smaller airplanes,” Chairman Carsten Spohr told the Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper.
It was crucial in these times to take make such decisions early rather than flying through the crisis with empty planes, he added.
The firm has just reduced its prognosis for this year, to a growth rate of four percent – dramatically lower than the 12 percent which had initially been expected.
In a small ray of sunshine for travellers who may find their connections either full or no longer on offer, Spohr said he expected passengers to be able to send text messages from their mobile phones while in the plane.
“We will possibly allow the transmission and receipt of text messages on board, without allowing telephone calls at the same time,” he said.
Germany’s second-largest carrier Air Berlin also announced cuts this week, designed to save as much as €200 million a year by cutting at least 100 flights a week and significantly reducing its fleet.
DAPD/The Local/hc
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“We are removing part of the anticipated additional capacity out of planning, in that we are reducing frequency, cutting some connections, and using smaller airplanes,” Chairman Carsten Spohr told the Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper.
It was crucial in these times to take make such decisions early rather than flying through the crisis with empty planes, he added.
The firm has just reduced its prognosis for this year, to a growth rate of four percent – dramatically lower than the 12 percent which had initially been expected.
In a small ray of sunshine for travellers who may find their connections either full or no longer on offer, Spohr said he expected passengers to be able to send text messages from their mobile phones while in the plane.
“We will possibly allow the transmission and receipt of text messages on board, without allowing telephone calls at the same time,” he said.
Germany’s second-largest carrier Air Berlin also announced cuts this week, designed to save as much as €200 million a year by cutting at least 100 flights a week and significantly reducing its fleet.
DAPD/The Local/hc
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