Lufthansa Group will cut 4,000 administrative jobs by 2030 as it seeks to boost efficiency through digitisation and automation.
At its Capital Markets Day in Munich this week, Lufthansa said it plans to make “profound changes” to its processes and governing structures over the next five years, largely driven by increased digitisation and the use of artificial intelligence.
As a result, the group expects to cut some 4,000 jobs, mostly in Germany and with a focus on administrative rather than operational roles.
The workforce cull comes after the group announced plans to further integrate its airlines – which include Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines and ITA Airways – to “maximise synergies”. In a statement, the European aviation giant said it is “reviewing which activities will no longer be necessary in the future, for example due to duplication of work”.
Lufthansa has faced difficulties returning its core airline to profitability this year following a series of disruptive strikes and operational issues. In its latest earnings report, Lufthansa Group CEO Carsten Spohr said the company had “regained operational stability of our airlines” after implementing a ‘turnaround’ strategy for its flagship airline, but cited supply chain delays and EU red tape as ongoing challenges.
The ‘turnaround’ strategy includes a significant investment to modernise the Lufthansa fleet. At a group level, Lufthansa expects to add more than 230 new aircraft by 2030, including 100 long-haul aircraft.
The group cited fleet modernisation and its recently expanded loyalty programme as growth drivers, raising its mid-term profit targets. Lufthansa now expects its adjusted operating margin to reach 8-10 per cent from 2028, up from a previous goal of 8 per cent.