No Rush For Lufthansa flights into Open Skies

Published: 19/11/07

German flag-carrier Lufthansa are in no hurry to commit themselves to more flights to USA from different European countries, a key feature of the Open Skies Agreement.

The carrier is considering the economic viability of flights to New York and other US cities from countries other than Germany, preferring a cautious approach rather than leaping in too quickly. Lufthansa already has a code share agreement with United Airlines that helps them manage their transatlantic demand, and this has been working well for several years.

The view of Lufthansa management is that to offer a competitive service from a country other than your own can be highly expensive. The reasoning is that to offer just one flight per day is insufficient to make an impact, so a greater number of flights need to be provided. This then means a higher number of aircraft tied up in this new market, which is a significant investment by any standards.

Author: airlinenews@googlemail.com