The Executive Board of Deutsche Lufthansa AG does not expect the aviation industry to return to pre-coronavirus crisis levels very quickly.
According to its assessment, it will take months until the global travel restrictions are completely lifted and years until the worldwide demand for air travel returns to pre-crisis levels.
Based on this evaluation, today the Executive Board has decided on extensive measures to reduce the capacity of flight operations and administration long term.
The decisions taken today will affect almost all flight operations of the Lufthansa Group.
The following aircraft will be permanently decommissioned:
- 6 Airbus A380s
- 7 Airbus A340-600s
- 3 Airbus A340-300s (Lufthansa Cityline)
- 5 Boeing 747-400s
- 11 Airbus A320s
- 10 Airbus A320s (Eurowings)
The six A380s were already scheduled for sale to Airbus in 2022. The decision to phase out seven A340-600s and five Boeing 747-400s was taken based on the environmental as well as economic disadvantages of these aircraft types. With this decision, Lufthansa will be reducing capacity at its hubs in Frankfurt and Munich.
Eurowings long-haul business which is run under the commercial responsibility of Lufthansa, will also be reduced.
In addition, the implementation of Eurowings objective of bundling flight operations into only one unit, which was defined before the crisis, will now be accelerated.
Germanwings flight operations will be discontinued. All options resulting from this are to be discussed with the respective unions.
The restructuring programs already initiated at Austrian Airlines and Brussels Airlines will be further intensified due to the coronavirus crisis. Among other things, both companies are working on reducing their fleets. SWISS International Air Lines will also adjust its fleet size by delaying deliveries of new short haul aircraft and consider early phase-outs of older aircraft.
In addition, the Lufthansa Group airlines have already terminated almost all wet lease agreements with other airlines.