Lufthansa sings Birmingham Airport’s praises and targets further growth

GERMAN airline Lufthansa says it is delighted with the passenger numbers on its new routes out of Birmingham Airport and that it may consider expanding its operation there.

The carrier said Birmingham is outperforming all other UK airports for Lufthansa in terms of growth.

Christian Schindler, the airline’s director for the UK and Ireland, told TheBusinessDesk.com that demand for the re-launched Birmingham to Hamburg route – which got under way in May – and the new Birmingham to Berlin route, which started in June, has surpassed all expectations.

“There is growing interest in Berlin for city breaks, as a cultural destination and as a conference venue,” he said. “Hamburg is a more mixed route with more corporate passengers.”

It is flying to Hamburg 12 times a week from Birmingham while the Berlin flight is daily.

Schindler said the carrier is hoping to build on its success at the local airport.

“Birmingham Airport is a great opportunity for us,” he said. “It is a very good airport with a good infrastructure.”

Schindler’s comments came on the day that the carrier announced it is to put some of its short haul routes together with Germanwings under a new low-cost airline.

Lufthansa says it will merge many of its European and domestic routes under a new low cost brand as it seeks to boost profits.

The company’s flights within Germany and Europe, excluding those from the Frankfurt and Munich hubs, will be merged with its existing low-cost brand Germanwings from next year.

Lufthansa is currently undergoing a £1.2bn cost-cutting programme to offset rising fuel costs and make it more competitive.

Its decision to reorganise its short-haul routes under the new brand follows a series of strikes by Lufthansa workers over pay and conditions.