Lufthansa and Frankfurt airport operator Fraport have formed a joint venture to improve the quality of services to passengers travelling through the German carrier’s main hub.
Both companies are taking a 50 per cent stake in the new FraAlliance JV, which is designed to “strengthen their existing cooperation on strategic and operational matters”, including the enhancing of customers services at Frankfurt’s Terminal 1.
FraAlliance will examine areas such as business development, operations, customer experience, infrastructure, intermodality and sustainability to identify and implement improvements.
Initial benefits for Lufthansa passengers will include providing real-time updates for security checkpoints through the airline’s app. This will give information on waiting times at security to help travellers better plan their arrangements.
The alliance is also analysing and optimising passenger flows through the airport to reduce transfers times for around one million travellers per year by removing unnecessary duplicate security checks.
Pierre Dominique Prumm, Fraport’s executive director of aviation and infrastructure, said: “With this joint venture, we’re creating a highly responsive and effective team that can pursue areas of mutual interest and to continue improving passenger services.”
Jens Ritter, CEO of Lufthansa Airlines, added: “We want to offer our customers a reliable, punctual and first-rate travel experience. The joint venture will allow us to place stronger and more targeted emphasis on the projects required to realise these aims.
“The new partnership at our Frankfurt hub will deliver significant added value for our customers by implementing innovative, future-focused measures.”
The FraAlliance team, which will be staffed equally by both companies, is being co-led by Fraport’s Dirk Schusdziara and Jorg Harnisch from the Lufthansa Group.