The German airline feels a “demand like never before”. That is why Lufthansa is expanding its staff and fleet. And promises product innovations.
The second pilots’ strike Lufthansa turn away at the last minute. And so the management can concentrate on other things once more. “We have a demand like never before,” said CEO Carsten Spohr this week at a meeting with the press. “We can’t keep up with the production.”
This had unpleasant consequences in the summer: Delays, cancellations, lost luggage. Spohr admitted that Lufthansa had disappointed many customers in the past few weeks. We apologize for that. In the meantime, however, the situation has improved significantly.
A small additional airline
You also have to see how extreme the development in the aviation industry was within a few weeks. In March, the capacity was still 20 percent and there were far too many staff. Suddenly it was very busy and there were not enough employees. “In the 30 years that I’ve been here, I can’t remember such a strong demand in relation to the supply,” says Spohr.
And with that in mind, Lufthansa is continuing to ramp up operations. The fleet will be increased by more than 50 aircraft by next year, said the CEO. Specifically, there are 13 long-haul and 40 short- and medium-haul aircraft. So come regarding new Dreamliner added and Airbus A380s are returning. The group also puts other jets back into operation and receives new planes from the factory.
Lufthansa plans product offensive
“That’s the equivalent of a small airline that we’re adding.” According to the plans, 20,000 new employees will also be hired over the next 18 months. In the Due to the Corona crisis, the group had reduced the fleet by more than 100 planes and more than 30,000 jobs eliminated.
But Lufthansa not only wants to do more, it also wants to do it better. “We not only have to bring our product back to where it was before the pandemic,” says Spohr. Innovations and improvements are planned at all levels – they will be presented in October. Lufthansa will improve with “creative things”, including in-flight catering, lounge and extras, announced the CEO.
