More than 80% of Lufthansa’s flights arrived on time at its Frankfurt and Munich hubs this year. It provides the best punctuality figures in ten years for the German national airline.
Yet, Lufthansa still faces several challenges to ensure punctuality. An increasing number of drone sightings and storms hamper operations, while a lack of technical equipment and air traffic controllers abroad sometimes leads to delays.
Lufthansa also expects air traffic to increase in the coming year, which will create further challenges. One consequence, for example, is that the airline continues to face a shortage of new aircraft due to delayed deliveries from both Boeing and Airbus, which are unable to keep up with demand.
€200 million investment in Frankfurt and Munich hubs
For the upcoming summer peak season, Lufthansa also anticipates longer transfer times for passengers and increased ground times for aircraft, allowing more time for refueling, loading, and unloading, as well as streamlining overall processes.
Lufthansa Airlines, the core company of the Lufthansa Group, which also owns other European carriers such as Brussels Airlines, SWISS, and Eurowings, is investing €200 million in its hubs in Frankfurt and Munich to ensure smooth operations and enhance service.
Problems with the ITA takeover
Still, it’s not all rosy for Lufthansa. Its entry into the Italian airline ITA Airways, for example, is facing resistance. After Luxembourg-based Luxair, German airline Condor has also filed a complaint against the approval given by the European Commission.
Condor believes that the approval should not have come. The conditions imposed were not sufficient to compensate for the competitive disadvantages caused by the deal, it argues. It is asking the General Court of the EU to overturn the decision.
The European Commission approved Lufthansa’s gradual takeover of ITA in July 2024. Since the beginning of this year, the German group has held a 41% stake, and agreements were reached to eventually take over the Italian carrier completely.
The approval was subject to certain conditions. For example, Lufthansa and ITA had to surrender takeoff and landing rights in Milan and Rome. Those went to the British airline easyJet. Luxair’s complaint is directed against the latter assignment.
