Air traffic
Lufthansa sees the first turbulence in Atlantic flights
Regardless of the customs conflict with the USA, the Lufthansa flights over the North Atlantic are currently fully occupied. In the summer, however, many passengers are still hesitating with the booking.
Despite the customs dispute with the United States, the Lufthansa Group flew significantly more passengers over the North Atlantic in the first four months of the year than a year earlier. In the first quarter, 7.1 percent more guests traveled with the airlines, reports Europe’s largest airline group. There were also significant increases in demand in April.
The first turbulence emerges for the third quarter, in which the bookings weaken at least for the cheapest economy tickets towards the USA. CEO Carsten Spohr sets himself to explain the kitchen table of many families in Europe. There, we don’t know whether we really want to go there now. “
The Lufthansa boss therefore expects short-term bookings. With the prices, however, you will not go down, but rather offer fewer places. A task force was used to observe the market changes.
Lufthansa presses the brake in the Atlantic business
At the end of the year, the Lufthansa Group does not want to expand its offer to the USA as quickly as last. Growth should be reduced from 6 to 3 percent in the fourth quarter. This measure can also be preferred, announces Spohr.
In contrast, demand in the United States for European lies is very stable. The problems of the major US companies can be explained solely by the weak domestic traffic and missing tourists from Mexico and Canada.
The air traffic group receives tailwind by devaluing the dollar to the euro and lower kerosene prices. For 2025, the board only expects fuel costs of around 7.3 billion euros – 600 million euros less than in March.
US manufacturers would suffer more from tariffs
Spohr is optimistic about the question of possible trade barriers and supply chain problems at the aircraft manufacturers. It was clear that no airline in the world could cope with 20 percent tariffs.
Like many in the industry, however, he strongly assumed that a possible customs war would hit the US industry more than Europe and there will therefore still be a lot of discussions, said Spohr. According to his assessment, the current delivery problems will stop until the end of the decade and force the airlines to strict capacity planning.
Lufthansa is not interested in taking over -can -cans from Chinese societies at Boeing, explains Spohr. You want to flee your own orders now. The group currently lacks 41 Boeing machines that should have long been delivered.
Spohr is now expecting the summer with the first 787 dreamliners to be put into operation in the third quarter. The long -completed jets should initially start in European traffic – but for the time being with partly blocked rows of seats that have not yet been approved.
Daughters contribute high profits
Despite significantly higher income, Lufthansa started again with deep red numbers. In the first quarter, the company increased sales by ten percent to 8.1 billion euros in the annual quarter. However, the operational loss (adjusted EBIT) adjusted by special items decreased by 15 percent to 722 million euros. The bottom line was that the group’s shortfall grew by more than a fifth to 885 million euros due to a lower tax relief.
The company owes the winning of its daughters that it didn’t get worse. The freight division Lufthansa Cargo returned to the black with adjusted operational profit of 62 million euros. The maintenance division Lufthansa Technik, with a corresponding profit of 161 million euros, earned more than ever in a first quarter.
Bratua brand should write black again
While several strikes had cost expensive in the previous year, operating costs now rose noticeable in the first quarter, among other things. In addition, Easter only fell into the second quarter this time, which meant around 80 million euros less profit.
Since the group expects a strong European business, the forecast for the current year is expressly maintained according to CFO Till Streichert. For example, profit in the day -to -day business (adjusted EBIT) should “significantly” exceed the previous year’s value of around 1.65 billion euros as announced. For this purpose, the group -wide flight offer should grow by around four percent – and the Lufthansa core brand will also return to the profit zone.
Lufthansa Group Financial Reports Communication Lufthansa Q1/2025
dpa
Source: Stern
