Lufthansa Group has lost €100m during the first half of 2015 due to strikes by its pilots union but still doubled profit thanks to lower fuel costs.
Europe’s largest airline group, which has caused controversy with its plans to introduce a fee for GDS bookings from September, also admitted that the risk of further strikes by the Vereinigung Cockpit pilots’ union “remains high”.
Lufthansa and the union agreed to arbitration on retirement and other benefits in April but these talks failed to find an agreement, and more strikes have been threatened.
Despite the industrial action, Lufthansa Group saw operating profit more than double to €430 million for the first six months of 2015 as revenue rose by 8.5 per cent to €15.4 billion. The airline group benefited from a €309 million reduction in fuel costs for the six-month period.
Simone Menne, chairman of airline’s financial and aviation services, called the “solid” although she admitted this mainly due to the fall in fuel costs.
“Our strategic focus is right. On the one hand, our premium brands – Lufthansa and Swiss – are very successful, and at the same time Germanwings and Eurowings are also showing good business developments as secondary brands,” added Menne.
“We are focusing on the premium quality of our hub airlines and the high level of competitiveness of our secondary brands in point-to-point traffic. This approach makes us profitable and fit for the future within the airline market.”