Singapore Airlines named as one of the 50 most admired companies in the world.

Fortune magazine has named Singapore Airlines one of the 50 most admired companies in the world.

The airline said in a statement "We would like to thank our customers for their continuous support, which we do not take for granted. This accolade is a testament to the dedication of our people, who have been critical to our recovery and who strive to exceed the expectations of our customers every single day."

For more details, visit https://bit.ly/3XW3YLP.

Other airlines on the list include Delta Air Lines, Lufthansa, Cathay Pacific, Southwest, Air France-KLM, Alaska Air and United. 

Belfast City Airport Announces Arrival of Lufthansa with Route to Germany

Germany’s flag carrier airline, Lufthansa, has announced it will commence operations at Belfast City Airport. The airline, which is one of Europe’s largest, is entering the Northern Irish market for the first time and will operate flights from Belfast City Airport to Frankfurt, Germany, from 23rd April 2023.

This will be the only direct air link between Northern Ireland and Germany.

Katy Best, Commercial Director at Belfast City Airport which is located only five minutes from Belfast City centre, commented:  “Attracting an airline such as Lufthansa to Northern Ireland that will provide the only route from the region to Germany is a major win for, not only the airport, but the wider tourism and business industry. With Germany being the third-largest market for overseas tourism to the island of Ireland, there is a clear demand for direct connectivity.”

Flights to Frankfurt with Lufthansa will operate up to four times a week, giving both leisure and business passengers exceptional choice and convenience when travelling to the global hub.

Katy continued:  “Frankfurt is an important city for commerce, culture, and tourism, and its airport is one of the busiest in Europe.  As a base for Lufthansa, Frankfurt is a key destination in its network and gives passengers an attractive option for connecting flights to markets further afield. Lufthansa’s commitment to excellent customer service and great value makes it a superb fit for Belfast City Airport, and we look forward to welcoming passengers travelling to Frankfurt and beyond to the terminal.”

Dr Frank Wagner, General Manager Sales, UK, Ireland and Iceland for Lufthansa Group, said:  “We are excited to announce the addition of Belfast City Airport to Lufthansa’s global network with the inaugural flight to Frankfurt on 23rd April 2023. This new nonstop connection will bring Northern Ireland much closer to Frankfurt and to the heart of Western Europe. Connecting passengers will enjoy a convenient and full service connection beyond our hub to our vast network of over 200 destinations in summer 2023.”

Exports from Northern Ireland to Germany between July 2021 and July 2022 reached over £333 million, with significant growth in the transport, metal and meat industries.

Speaking of the benefit for businesses, Mel Chittock, Interim CEO of Invest NI said:  “Germany is a powerhouse of the European economy and one which offers tremendous potential for our local businesses to export to as well as being a major source of internationally mobile investment. Its key sectors are well aligned with Northern Ireland’s strengths, particularly in Advanced Manufacturing, Life and Health Sciences, Food and Drink, and Financial Services. In fact, we are currently strengthening our European team to support exporters expand into Germany, Austria and Switzerland and to promote the Northern Ireland investment proposition in the region, with recruitment for a number of key roles currently under way.

Direct air connectivity is an important element of growing our economy and the establishment of this new direct route will make it easier for companies, both here and in the region, to do business together.”

Ann McGregor, Chief Executive, Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry added:  “Air connectivity is an important driver of economic growth, so NI Chamber welcomes the introduction of this new route between Belfast and Frankfurt. For business passengers, including those servicing customers in Germany and Europe, it will help improve trade links and make travel to an important export market more accessible.”

In addition to facilitating vital business links, the new route between Northern Ireland and Frankfurt will provide essential connectivity for tourism between the two countries.

Niall Gibbons, Chief Executive of Tourism Ireland, said:    “Today’s announcement by Lufthansa is really good news for tourism to Northern Ireland in 2023.  As an island destination, we know there’s a proven correlation between access and growth in visitor numbers, so this new flight will certainly help boost tourism business from Germany. Tourism Ireland is committed to working with Lufthansa, Belfast City Airport and our other key partners, to drive demand for this new flight, and all other services to Northern Ireland, and help maintain our vital network of routes and services.  Germany is an important market for tourism to Northern Ireland. In 2019, we welcomed almost 65,000 German visitors, whose visits delivered almost £14 million for the economy.”

Welcoming the new route, Gerry Lennon, Chief Executive, Visit Belfast said:  “We’re delighted to welcome Lufthansa to Northern Ireland and this new air service connecting Frankfurt and Belfast.

 

Connectivity is crucial as we continue to rebuild the city and region's tourism sector. This is a real vote of confidence; and as the gateway city to Northern Ireland, this service will allow us to fully engage with one of our key markets in continental Europe as well as provide onward global connections to and from this important hub airport.   We look forward to working with Lufthansa and Belfast City Airport to promote the Belfast City Region as an exciting, vibrant leisure, business and conference destination.”

 

With nearly 4,000 German-born residents living in Northern Ireland, the new route will also deliver a much-needed path for visiting friends and family, something which does not currently exist in Northern Ireland.

 

Marion Lübbeke, Honorary Consul for Germany to Northern Ireland, added:   “Congratulations to Belfast City Airport in securing this new route to Frankfurt International Airport. We are delighted to see Lufthansa, one of the world’s leading airlines, coming to Northern Ireland and opening new opportunities for business and tourism. Northern Ireland is a popular travel destination for visitors from Germany who love the spectacular coastline, the buzzing cities and above all, the warm hospitality of the people.”

 

Flights to Frankfurt will be operated on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays by an Embraer aircraft and will offer both Business and Economy class services.

Wednesday and Sunday flights depart at 09.45 and arrive Frankfurt at 13.10

 

Monday and Friday flights depart at 16.45 and arrive Frankfurt 20.10

Lufthansa Cargo Celebrates 10 Years of Transforming Core Cargo Business with IBS Software

This month, Lufthansa Cargo celebrates 10 years of transforming its global air cargo business with IBS Software. Over the past decade, IBS Software has successfully partnered with Lufthansa Cargo to create a modern, agile and innovation-focused business, built on the strong foundation of iCargo – IBS' market-leading cargo platform.

In celebration of their ten-year, and ongoing, partnership, Lufthansa Cargo and IBS Software reflect on the journey to revolutionize Lufthansa's entire air cargo movement worldwide

The partnership began when Lufthansa Cargo made the decision to replace its core IT platform - a mainframe system called Mosaik - in 2012. This was a 30-year-old legacy technology, which formed the nerve centre of its operation; changing it was considered a project of immense complexity and risk. Consequently, Lufthansa Cargo carried out a rigorous market search during which 400+ potential suppliers and partners were evaluated. IBS Software and its iCargo offering were selected based on the strength of the offering, the capability and experience of its teams and the high level of congruence in future strategy.

For Lufthansa Cargo, IBS Software served not only the immediate goal of significantly upgrading its operational core but also further consolidated its IT landscape by bringing other, Lufthansa Cargo-built applications under the iCargo umbrella. The highly complex transformation project - named iCAP - involved more than 300 global locations across the Lufthansa Cargo network and its major hubs in Europe, including the Frankfurt mega-hub.

The outcome of iCAP was an integrated solution that supports the requirements of the airlines' freight business, providing enhanced web-enabled features that optimize operations, enhance profitability, and provide scalability. The solution helps manage the increasing volumes of cargo movement requirements of freighters, ground handling agents (GHAs), as well as airports. Buoyed by the success of the initial phase of the project, Lufthansa moved to a full SaaS (Software as a Service) model of software delivery for iCargo in 2020, entrusting the full ownership of hosting and maintenance of Lufthansa Cargo's iCAP platform to IBS Software.

Lufthansa Cargo and IBS Software also continued to innovate and develop several industry firsts and implement innovative business practices such as the iPartner Handling platform in 2021. This deployment represented significant progress for Lufthansa Cargo's 'Mobile Digital Handling' initiative, created to eliminate paper-based processes across its operations by digitizing tasks and process checks carried out by its GHA partners to enable best-in-class customer experience. These efforts have culminated in Lufthansa Cargo recently achieving 100% eFreight adoption, which is the industry benchmark. 

Dorothea von Boxberg, Chairman of the Executive Board at Lufthansa Cargo, says: "IBS has been a strong partner in guiding us on our digitization journey over the years. From the replacement of legacy IT systems to the laying of the foundation stone in the area of digital fulfilment to the development of more far-reaching IT solutions - which have now been the backbone in our IT operations. It is our goal to continue to work together to drive the digital transformation of our industry, improving data quality and connectivity with our customers in the process, and making our own processes more efficient as well. Together, we are creating considerable added value, especially for our customers."

Ashok Rajan, SVP, Head of Cargo & Logistics at IBS Software, says: "I view our decade-strong partnership with Lufthansa Cargo with immense pride. It truly represents what can be accomplished through a partnership that goes above and beyond that of a buyer-supplier relationship. Our partnership has created several innovative business practices, many are industry firsts revolutionizing and improving quality across cargo operations in a rapidly changing industry. IBS is looking forward to continuing to drive value with and for Lufthansa for many years to come."

Dr Jochen Göttelmann, CIO at Lufthansa Cargo, says: "We look back on the existing ten-year partnership with IBS in a thoroughly positive light. Together, we have further developed iCargo as a product in such a way that it provides us with excellent services on a daily basis at our Global Handling Hub in Frankfurt and in our worldwide operations. The intensive cooperation between IBS as a technology market leader and Lufthansa Cargo as an innovation driver makes our collaboration special to this day. The IBS teams convince us every time - with their know-how, but also with their commitment to live up to our claim of implementing innovations in airfreight. We are very much looking forward to furthering our cooperation."

Lufthansa names new 787 'Berlin'

Christening of the Boeing 787-9 "Berlin" by Governing Mayor Franziska Giffey

Lufthansa Group largest operator at BER: Five Lufthansa Group airlines fly to the capital region

The "Berlin" will be on long-haul service to New York (Newark) for the first time on Dec. 1, 2022

Photo Lufthansa

The capital has a new flying ambassador. The first Boeing 787-9 in the Lufthansa fleet, with the registration D-ABPA, was christened on Monday at Berlin Brandenburg Airport by Governing Mayor Franziska Giffey.

Carsten Spohr, Chairman of the Executive Board and CEO of Deutsche Lufthansa AG, said, "The first Dreamliner in our long-haul fleet is called 'Berlin', because the company has a long and special relationship with the capital. Lufthansa has been a strong partner of the German capital since it was founded in Berlin in 1926. Since we were allowed to fly to Berlin again in 1990, no other airline has brought more travellers to the region. With the new Boeing 787 'Berlin' we proudly carry the name of the German capital around the world."

Lufthansa was founded in Berlin on January 6, 1926, and was headquartered there until 1945. After World War II, only Allied aircraft were allowed to land in the divided city. Lufthansa did not fly to the capital again until 1990.

The Lufthansa Group is the largest operator at BER. Five of the Group's airlines connect Berlin with Germany and the world. In the upcoming winter flight schedule, Lufthansa Group airlines will offer just under a third of all flights to and from Berlin. In summer 2023, the Lufthansa Group's offering will be more than twice as large as that of the second-largest carrier at the site, accounting for approximately 40% of all flights. In addition, the Group is represented here - as is otherwise only the case in Frankfurt - with all its important business segments.

Photo Lufthansa

Franziska Giffey, Governing Mayor of Berlin, said: "Lufthansa and the German capital are linked by a long tradition. The company was founded in Berlin in 1926 and rose to become one of the world's leading airlines. Today, the Lufthansa Group connects Berlin with the world. Long-haul flights to and from BER are very important for our economic development. Our trade fairs, congresses and Berlin's strong hospitality industry also thrive on this. I am delighted to be able to christen Lufthansa's first Dreamliner 'Berlin' today - with ‘Berliner Weiße’, as befits the occasion. I wish the 'Berlin' a good flight at all times."

From December, the D-ABPA will be in service on the route from Frankfurt to New York (Newark). The Dreamliner will make its first commercial flight from Frankfurt to Munich on October 19. From then on, the "Berlin" will fly the domestic route three times a day. This will allow the necessary training flights to be completed and as many crews as possible to be trained.

Seventh aircraft with the Berlin name

Photo Lufthansa

The Boeing 787-9 is already the seventh Lufthansa aircraft to be named "Berlin." Willy Brandt first christened a Boeing 707 with the name of the capital on September 16, 1960. It was the first aircraft christening after Lufthansa's reestablishment in 1953, and since then it has been a company tradition for aircraft to be named after German cities. The Dreamliner's predecessor was the sixth "Berlin": an Airbus A380 with the registration D-AIMI. It was christened by the then Governing Mayor at Tegel Airport on May 22, 2012 and decommissioned during the pandemic.

Reducing CO2 emissions by 30 percent

The ultra-modern "Dreamliner" long-haul aircraft now only consume an average around 2.5 litres of kerosene per passenger per 100 kilometres flown. That is up to 30 percent less than the preceding models. Between 2022 and 2027, the Lufthansa Group will take delivery of a total of 32 Boeing Dreamliners.

First Dreamliner in Lufthansa's long-haul fleet is named “Berlin”

Christening of the Boeing 787-9 "Berlin" by Governing Mayor Franziska Giffey

Lufthansa Group largest operator at BER: Five Lufthansa Group airlines fly to the capital region

The "Berlin" will be on long-haul service to New York (Newark) for the first time on Dec. 1, 2022

Photo Lufthansa

The capital has a new flying ambassador. The first Boeing 787-9 in the Lufthansa fleet, with the registration D-ABPA, was christened on Monday at Berlin Brandenburg Airport by Governing Mayor Franziska Giffey.

Carsten Spohr, Chairman of the Executive Board and CEO of Deutsche Lufthansa AG, said, "The first Dreamliner in our long-haul fleet is called 'Berlin', because the company has a long and special relationship with the capital. Lufthansa has been a strong partner of the German capital since it was founded in Berlin in 1926. Since we were allowed to fly to Berlin again in 1990, no other airline has brought more travellers to the region. With the new Boeing 787 'Berlin' we proudly carry the name of the German capital around the world."

Lufthansa was founded in Berlin on January 6, 1926, and was headquartered there until 1945. After World War II, only Allied aircraft were allowed to land in the divided city. Lufthansa did not fly to the capital again until 1990.

The Lufthansa Group is the largest operator at BER. Five of the Group's airlines connect Berlin with Germany and the world. In the upcoming winter flight schedule, Lufthansa Group airlines will offer just under a third of all flights to and from Berlin. In summer 2023, the Lufthansa Group's offering will be more than twice as large as that of the second-largest carrier at the site, accounting for approximately 40% of all flights. In addition, the Group is represented here - as is otherwise only the case in Frankfurt - with all its important business segments.

Photo Lufthansa

Franziska Giffey, Governing Mayor of Berlin, said: "Lufthansa and the German capital are linked by a long tradition. The company was founded in Berlin in 1926 and rose to become one of the world's leading airlines. Today, the Lufthansa Group connects Berlin with the world. Long-haul flights to and from BER are very important for our economic development. Our trade fairs, congresses and Berlin's strong hospitality industry also thrive on this. I am delighted to be able to christen Lufthansa's first Dreamliner 'Berlin' today - with ‘Berliner Weiße’, as befits the occasion. I wish the 'Berlin' a good flight at all times."

From December, the D-ABPA will be in service on the route from Frankfurt to New York (Newark). The Dreamliner will make its first commercial flight from Frankfurt to Munich on October 19. From then on, the "Berlin" will fly the domestic route three times a day. This will allow the necessary training flights to be completed and as many crews as possible to be trained.

Seventh aircraft with the Berlin name

Photo Lufthansa

The Boeing 787-9 is already the seventh Lufthansa aircraft to be named "Berlin." Willy Brandt first christened a Boeing 707 with the name of the capital on September 16, 1960. It was the first aircraft christening after Lufthansa's reestablishment in 1953, and since then it has been a company tradition for aircraft to be named after German cities. The Dreamliner's predecessor was the sixth "Berlin": an Airbus A380 with the registration D-AIMI. It was christened by the then Governing Mayor at Tegel Airport on May 22, 2012 and decommissioned during the pandemic.

Reducing CO2 emissions by 30 percent

The ultra-modern "Dreamliner" long-haul aircraft now only consume an average around 2.5 litres of kerosene per passenger per 100 kilometres flown. That is up to 30 percent less than the preceding models. Between 2022 and 2027, the Lufthansa Group will take delivery of a total of 32 Boeing Dreamliners.

Lufthansa to make largest investment in premium products in the company's history......

Photo Lufthansa

Premium and quality products have always been Lufthansa’s promise to its passengers. With this, the airline is introducing a new premium product on long-haul routes under the name "Allegris" in all travel classes (i.e. Economy, Premium Economy, Business and First Class). “Allegris” has been developed exclusively for the Lufthansa Group.

For the very first time in the company's history, the Lufthansa First Class is receiving spacious suites that offer nearly ceiling-high walls that can be closed for privacy. The seat, which is almost one meter wide, can be converted into a large, comfortable bed. All seats and beds are positioned in the direction of flight, without exception. In addition to many other storage options, there is a large, personal wardrobe in every suite. Passengers inhabiting this new First Class can even remain in their suite as they prepare for sleep and change into Lufthansa First Class pajamas.

Dining will be an exceptional experience in the new First Class cabin. If preferred, eating together is made possible for the guests at a large dining table, whereby one can sit across from their partner or fellow traveller, just as one does in a restaurant. Gourmet menus are presented, along with the airline’s unique caviar service. Entertainment is provided by screens that extend across the full width of the suite, with Bluetooth connectivity for wireless headphones.

Photo Lufthansa

Lufthansa will present details of the suite, as well as a further innovation in First Class, at the beginning of next year.

Carsten Spohr, Chairman of the Executive Board and CEO of Deutsche Lufthansa AG, said: "We want to set new, unprecedented standards for our guests. The largest investment in premium products in our company's history underpins our claim to continue to be the leading Western premium airline in the future."

Photo Lufthansa

New Business Class: Suite in the front row

Eurowings pilots strike likely to ruin travel plans of around 30,000 tomorrow.

According to the German budget airline, Eurowings, part of the mighty Lufthansa Group, about 30,000 passengers will likely have travel plans disrupted by a one-day strike called by the firm's pilots. 

Whilst Eurowings says it will do all it could to mitigate the disruption, with up to half of its flights operating to the timetable. yet thousands of people will have flights cancelled or delayed with the inconvenience set to last for days after the strike. 

Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) the pilots union confirmed the strike would take place which follows ten rounds of talks that had subsequently failed.  The dispute is over working hours,  the union wants pilots' workloads to be greatly reduced, or rest time extended.

Eurowings consists of two flight operations. Only flights operated by Eurowings Germany are affected by the strike call, not those operated by Eurowings Europe. Eurowings is doing everything possible to minimise the impact of the strike action on passengers. The airline expects to be able to operate around half of its normal flight programme. In addition to Eurowings Europe, the airline can also rely on partners of the Lufthansa Group.

Lufthansa Selects Datometry to Accelerate Data Warehouse Modernization

 Datometry, the pioneer of database virtualization, announced today that Deutsche Lufthansa AG, has selected the Datometry virtualization platform to accelerate the modernization of its on-premises data warehouse to Microsoft Azure Synapse. The Datometry Hyper-Q virtualization platform is the first to make databases and applications fully interoperable, and will enable the Lufthansa Group to replatform to the cloud without disrupting existing business processes.

Lufthansa Group, composed of the segments Network Airlines, Eurowings and Aviation Services, is one of the leading operating aviation groups worldwide. The group's legacy data warehouse powers many mission-critical functions across the enterprise and is one of the largest data warehouse installations of its kind. Lufthansa is looking to modernize its analytical data processing with the performance and flexibility of a modern cloud data warehouse, while preserving long-standing investments in application development and business processes.

Datometry Hyper-Q uniquely addresses Lufthansa's business objectives by enabling the company to transfer its existing applications natively to Azure without costly rewrites of SQL code. With Datometry Hyper-Q, Lufthansa will complete the transformation from on-premises to cloud-native at a fraction of the time, cost, and risk of conventional database migrations.

New labour agreement rejected by SWISS pilots...the future looks uncertain

Improved SWISS offer for new cockpit collective labour agreement rejected by pilots’ association

SWISS pilots want more money to carry on flying for the national airline. Photo SWISS

There has been surprise and a fair amount of consternation in the aviation industry in Switzerland as the latest deal offered by the national carrier SWISS, part of the vast Lufthansa Group has been rejected by those representing the airline's cockpit crews.

SWISS has presented the Aeropers pilots’ association with an offer for a new cockpit collective labour agreement (CLA) which is an improvement of more than CHF 60 million on the previous new CLA proposed. The Aeropers executive committee has rejected this latest offer as inadequate and has made demands of its own totalling over CHF 200 million. SWISS remains open to further negotiations.

The proposed new CLA2022 collective labour agreement for Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) cockpit personnel was rejected by the members of the Aeropers pilots’ association at the end of August. SWISS and Aeropers have since been engaged in negotiations on modifications to the CLA2022 proposal. Last Tuesday SWISS submitted an improved offer to Aeropers. This included:

measures to improve the compatibility of professional demands with private life worth some CHF 30 million over the proposed new CLA’s four-year duration;

an offer to partially transfer variable salary components to fixed-salary status, or alternatively to increase the variable salary components if an Adjusted EBIT margin is achieved of between 6 and 12 per cent;

increases in pilots’ total remuneration (including variable compensation and company pension scheme contributions) of between CHF 3,000 and CHF 9,000 a year, depending on years of service, an action which also pays due regard to the current cost-of-living increases.

Improvements worth over CHF 60 million rejected

Audi and Lufthansa Industry Solutions launch joint venture

amplimind: Audi and Lufthansa Industry Solutions launch joint venture. Photo Audi  

Lufthansa Industry Solutions, an IT service provider and subsidiary of the Lufthansa Group, and Audi have announced the launch of their joint venture under the name “amplimind.” The company was founded in July after the official permits were granted. amplimind will commence operations end of 2022 and is intended to accelerate the digital transformation of both AUDI AG and the mobility industry.

The software development specialists at amplimind concentrate on agile individual development, integrating and operating strategic applications, and consulting services in the fields of IT security and cloud platform development. Specialists look forward to a “remote-first” hybrid working model in the young company. The offices at the headquarter in Munich Airport and Norderstedt serve as project areas for collaborative work, exchange, and creativity. At amplimind, the teams are self-organized and network-based, the working models are flexible, and the methods are agile. The company is geared towards innovative and sustainable technologies and methods, such as green IT and green coding.

Nils Büring and Bettina Bernhardt will take on management responsibilities at amplimind. As Vice President Industry & Automotive at Lufthansa Industry Solutions, Nils Büring has extensive experience developing agile software and managing IT projects based on success criteria. As the former CEO of a digital subsidiary of Audi, Bettina Bernhardt has many years of experience in the areas of agile structures and culture, new work, and developing structures in which people can unleash their potential for digital business.

Developing company-relevant applications

With amplimind, Audi will systematically advance its IT strategy NEXT:IT. The new joint venture is intended to enhance the company’s core performance in the area of software development. “Over the next few years, software development expertise will become significantly more strategically relevant for digitizing efficient business processes,” says Frank Loydl, Chief Information Officer (CIO) of AUDI AG.As part of its sourcing strategy, Audi primarily wants to develop relevant IT applications and top digital projects in enterprise IT itself in the future.

Strike truce for Lufthansa and pilot unions as pay deal agreed

German pilots union  Vereinigung Cockpit - VLC and the national carrier Lufthansa have made a deal that will halt any strikes from happening until at least June next year, they announced on Monday. 

Under the terms of the deal, Lufthansa has agreed on a pay rise of €980 that's around £850. The pilots will see this added to their monthly pay in two stages, one from 1st August this year and the other half added on 1st April next year. 

'The agreement benefits entry-level salaries in particular. An entry-level co-pilot will receive around 20 percent additional basic pay, while a captain in the final grade will receive 5.5 percent,' the airline said on Monday.

Michael Niggemann, Chief Human Resources Officer and Labor Director of the Deutsche Lufthansa AG, said:  "We are pleased to have reached this agreement with Vereinigung Cockpit. The increase in basic salary with uniform base amounts leads to the desired higher proportional increase in entry-level salaries. We now want to use the next few months in a trusting dialogue with Vereinigung Cockpit to find and implement sustainable solutions. The common goal is to continue to offer our pilots attractive and secure jobs with prospects for further development going foward."

Lufthansa rushes to prevent a second pilots strike over pay

Photo Lufthansa

The largest German airline, Lufthansa has advised that it is looking to improve its pay rise offer to pilots u the current dispute as it seeks to avoid another crippling strike later this week.  

The Vereinigung Cockpit union wanted a 5.5% raise for its members this year and an inflation-busting 8.2% increase in 2023. Pilots are also seeking a new pay and holiday structure.

The airline says those measures would increase its staffing costs by about 40%, or around 900 million euros over two years. It has instead offered a one-off increase of 900 euros ($900), amounting to a 5% increase for senior pilots and an 18% increase for those starting the profession.

A union representing pilots announced plans for a walkout Wednesday and Thursday while calling on the company to makes a “serious” offer in talks over pay increases. It would be the second strike in a week after pilots staged a walkout Friday that led to hundreds of flights being cancelled.

Lufthansa takes delivery of first 787-9 from Boeing.

The German airline Lufthansa Group has taken delivery of the first 787-9 Dreamliner directly from Boeing, with the handover being made at the manufacturers delivery centre at Paine Field, Everett, Washington state. 

The Lufthansa Group has 32 firm orders for the 787 and joins nearly 50 customers worldwide in operating the Boeing aircraft that has been beset with recent issues and delays. 

"With the Boeing 787, we are introducing another modern aircraft type that is one of the most fuel-efficient long-haul aircraft in our fleet," said Jens Ritter, CEO of Lufthansa Airlines. "This will allow us to significantly further improve the average CO2 balance. This aircraft is sustainable and offers customers a premium flying experience."

"Today's delivery to the Lufthansa Group is a significant milestone for both companies as we resume European 787 deliveries and Lufthansa receives its first 787. I am delighted to see Lufthansa join a growing set of airlines worldwide operating the industry's most capable twin-engine airplane," said Stan Deal, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "With unmatched fuel efficiency and huge passenger appeal, the 787 will play an integral role in the Lufthansa Group's long-haul network."

Lufthansa pilots vote for industrial action over battle over pay.....

Pilots at German airline Lufthansa voted on Sunday in favour of industrial action, by a margin of 97.6% 

The vote does not necessarily mean a strike will be held, but it was a signal to the employer that constructive steps needed to be taken, pilot's union Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) board member Marcel Groels said.  "We are showing we are ready to talk," he added.

A spokesperson for Lufthansa said they respected the results of the vote and hoped for a constructive solution at the negotiating table.

Pilots' union VC is demanding a 5.5% pay rise this year for its pilots and automatic inflation compensation thereafter.

Almost all Lufthansa flights to and from Frankfurt and Munich cancelled for tomorrow

The warning strike announced by trade union ver.di is having a massive operational impact in the middle of the peak travel season. Lufthansa will have to call off almost the entire flight program at its hubs in Frankfurt and Munich for Wednesday. Looking ahead to the coming weekend, the start of the vacation season in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, Lufthansa is working flat out to return flight operations to normal as quickly as possible. Nevertheless, the effects of the strike may still lead to individual flight cancellations or delays on Thursday and Friday.

In Frankfurt, a total of 678 flights will have to be cancelled, including 32 already today (Tuesday) and 646 on Wednesday. This is expected to affect 92,000 passengers.

At the Munich hub, a total of 345 flights will have to be cancelled, 15 of them already today (Tuesday) and 330 on Wednesday. It is expected that 42,000 passengers will be affected.

DB becomes the first Intermodal Partner of Star Alliance

As of August 1, Deutsche Bahn (DB) will be the world’s first Intermodal Partner of Star Alliance. With this, DB and the aviation industry are sending another strong signal for the environment-friendly evolution of the travel industry. Under the new cooperation, DB customers and passengers of Star Alliance member airlines will be able to start or end their long-distance journey comfortably on the climate-friendly train. Germany is the first market and DB is the world’s first partner in the new Star Alliance initiative.

An industry-first, Star Alliance’s Intermodal Partnership model intelligently combines airlines with railway, bus, ferry or any other transport ecosystem, alliance-wide. It is designed to link loyalty systems and facilitate seamless airport/station/port transit. Star Alliance plans to expand intermodal partnerships in the future.

Michael Peterson, Board Member for Long-Distance Passenger Transport: “From Freiburg to Singapore: you only need one ticket for that. With attractive inner-German connections and simultaneous links to international travel chains, Deutsche Bahn and Star Alliance make a significant contribution to reducing CO2 emissions in the transport sector. The new partnership complements our successful cooperation with Lufthansa Express Rail, where the number of bookings has more than doubled since 2010. This is how we get more people off the plane and onto the environmentally friendly rail. In close cooperation with the airlines, we are now tackling the mobility turnaround. We are further networking our offers in such a way that we can optimally use the respective strengths of our modes of transport.”

Jeffrey Goh, CEO Star Alliance: “Today brings great forces together and opens the Star Alliance doors beyond the airline ecosystem. Our new model for intermodal partnerships promises seamless coexistence between different modes of transport throughout the alliance. We welcome Deutsche Bahn as our first intermodal partner to Star Alliance.”

Harry Hohmeister, member of the board at Deutsche Lufthansa AG: „ Our partnership is unique worldwide. Once again, we are pioneers in Germany for intelligently linking different types of transport. We are creating added value for customers, for Germany as a business location, for the environment and for society. Mobility of the future means mastering challenges together. The successful Lufthansa Express Rail cooperation is an outstanding example of this – and on this foundation, we are now taking the next logical step. Our customers will benefit from this partnership more than ever before.“

The new partnership between DB and Star Alliance builds on the Lufthansa Express Rail program. Lufthansa customers have been able to buy a combined ticket for trains and flights in one booking step for more than 20 years. In the future, in addition to Lufthansa, all 25 other Star Alliance member airlines will be able to include DB’s environmentally friendly ICE trains as a flight number in their booking engine and customers will benefit from advantages such as:

In just one booking process, airline customers receive a combined ticket for the flight and train journeys including seat reservation. Upon check-in – which is possible until shortly before the train departs – travelers receive their boarding passes for both the flight and the train journeys.

With integrated ICE train journeys, air travelers will have even more choice based on timings, duration and prices offered.

Customers also benefit from priority baggage handling and other services in the AiRail check-in area at the Frankfurt Airport.

For all bookings of combined train-flight journeys via Lufthansa Express Rail or, also with the member airlines of the Star Alliance, points or miles can be collected for the train journeys in the preferred frequent flyer programs of the airlines.

In addition, Business and First-Class flight customers of Star Alliance member airlines will receive additional benefits with an LH Express Rail ticket, such as access to the DB lounges.

Lufthansa to wake its Airbus A380 aircraft up.......

The good news for fans of the largest commercial passenger aircraft, the Airbus A380, as Lufthansa, the German airline has decided to reactivate its fleet of the double-decker giant.

As a direct response to growing passenger demand, Lufthansa said it was removing the planes from their long-term storage and making them ready to fly again for summer 2023.

Lufthansa still has 14 Airbus A380s, which are currently parked in Spain and France for long-term storage, it has sold six of them and is currently assessing how many of the other eight to reactivate as part of its mainline fleet.

The airline issued the following statement,  "In the summer of 2023, we not only expect to have a much more reliable air transport system worldwide. We will be welcoming you back on board our Airbus A380s, too. We decided today to put the A380, which continues to enjoy great popularity, back into service at Lufthansa in summer 2023. In addition to this, we are further strengthening and modernizing our fleets with some 50 new Airbus A350, Boeing 787 and Boeing 777-9 long-haul aircraft and more than 60 new Airbus A320/321s in the next three years alone.”

Singapore Airlines and Australia’s Qantas and Korean Airlines have already started to return the four-engine giant to normal operations, ANA and Asiana Airlines are also in the process of reawakening their planes too.

 

The Airbus A380 is the world's largest passenger aircraft: it is 73 meters long and 24 meters high and offers a unique experience that starts with boarding which introduces passengers to superior standards of in-flight comfort. It has the world’s largest and most spacious passenger aircraft cabin stretching over its two full-length decks with widebody dimensions. With more seats than any other aircraft, the A380 offers a solution for traffic growth and airport congestion as we emerge from the pandemic.

The A380 features the best cabin in the sky, wider cabin for wider seats (up to 19 inches in economy) offering one of the quietest and smoothest flights with more personal space than every other commercial jet.

The total cabin surface area of the A380 is 550m2, the main deck (MD) cabin is the widest of any airliner and is 20” (51cm) wider than the Boeing 747 cabin.  The upper deck (UD) cabin, the first full widebody UD cabin ever, is 71” (180cm) wider than the B747 cabin.  Passengers enjoy the larger windows and cabin mood lighting as well as a clear and healthy flying environment, with the cabin is split into 15 different temperature control zones, the temperature in each can be varied between 18 and 30 degrees C. Air conditioning: 6 air inlets (compared to 4 typically) for quiet, draught-free cabin air delivery.

Other key facts…..

Cathay Pacific and Lufthansa Cargo expand joint business agreement to include Swiss WorldCargo

Cathay Pacific and Lufthansa Cargo announce today the entry of Swiss WorldCargo into the airlines’ joint business agreement, providing cargo customers with more direct connections, more flexibility and more time-saving.

The entry of Swiss WorldCargo builds on the joint business agreement signed in 2016 between Cathay Pacific and Lufthansa Cargo, which enables the two airlines to cooperate in terms of sales, pricing, contracts, and the handling of shipments between Hong Kong and Europe.

Cathay Pacific and Lufthansa Cargo already have a close collaboration on international lanes via their hubs in Hong Kong and Germany, while the handling of cargo in Hong Kong is coordinated under one roof at the Cathay Pacific Cargo Terminal of Hong Kong International Airport.

Under the expanded joint business agreement, Cathay Pacific, Lufthansa Cargo, and Swiss WorldCargo will work closely together on network planning, as well as on sales, IT and ground handling. Initially, the airlines will cooperate on traffic from Hong Kong to Zurich and Frankfurt, with traffic to and from Hong Kong and the rest of Europe planned to be included later this year.

Cargo customers will be able to access the entire joint network via the booking systems of all three partners.

Cathay Pacific Director Cargo Tom Owen said: “We are delighted to welcome Swiss WorldCargo into our joint business agreement. Cathay Pacific is always looking for more ways to give our cargo customers greater choice and more options for shipments whenever they fly their goods with us. The addition of Swiss WorldCargo’s flights to the already large combined network of Cathay Pacific and Lufthansa will further bring Hong Kong, the world’s busiest air cargo hub, closer to Europe and strengthen one of the world’s great trade lanes.”

Lufthansa Cargo CEO Dorothea von Boxberg said: “We are very pleased about the trilateral cooperation just starting, bringing three well-known cargo carriers to the table and making our customers an even more attractive offer. Cargo customers will appreciate the opportunities for quicker and easier shipping. The expanded joint venture will generate numerous benefits for our customers because our networks, our hubs and our fleet complement each other effectively.”

Swiss International Air Lines Head of Cargo Lorenzo Stoll said: “We are very excited to be entering this joint business agreement between Lufthansa Cargo and Cathay Pacific, thanks to which we can not only strengthen our already close collaboration, but also expand our network offering to our customers, while staying true to our high quality and flexibility.”

The joint activities will be carried out in full compliance with all applicable laws, including the competition rules of the European Union and Hong Kong.

 

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Lufthansa wants to acquire a 20% stake in state-owned Italian airline ITA Airways.....

Photo REUTERS/Remo Casilli

Germany's leading international airline, Lufthansa wants to acquire a 20% stake in state-owned Italian airline ITA Airways, the successor to Alitalia, and its partner MSC is bidding for a 60% stake, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters on Tuesday.

The Italian state would initially keep the remaining 20%, the source said. The Lufthansa-MSC duo made their offer to acquire a majority stake in ITA on Monday.

MSC, also known as Mediterranean Shipping Group, has filed an offer together with Lufthansa and is awaiting the next steps, a company spokesperson said, declining to comment further.

The Italian Treasury did not reply to a request for comment on the sale process after the deadline for bids on Monday.

MSC and Lufthansa face a rival bid from U.S. financial investor Certares which is working with Air France-KLM (AIRF.PA) and Delta Air Lines (DAL.N).

Delta confirmed on Tuesday that it would not be a financial investor in ITA, but said in a statement that it would seek to build on an existing commercial partnership with ITA.

Air France-KLM declined to comment on ITA on Tuesday.

It has launched a 2.26-billion-euro ($2.4 billion) share sale to shore up its balance sheet and repay some French state aid, bringing it closer to repaying government pandemic support and meeting European Union conditions for participating in any future airline consolidation. read more

Italian media reports said the Alitalia successor was worth between around 1 billion and 2 billion euros. A Lufthansa spokesperson did not want to comment on the figures.

A decision is expected in the coming weeks about which of the two bidder groups will be invited to launch exclusive negotiations. Italy is aiming to complete a sale by the end of June.

 Reporting by Ilona Wissenbach, Zuzanna Szymanska, Rajesh Kumar Singh, Jonathan Saul and Giuseppe Fonte Writing by Paul Carrel Editing by Miranda Murray and Jonathan Oatis

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Contactless travel with facial recognition......

Star Alliance Biometrics now at Hamburg Airport

Improved travel comfort for Lufthansa Group passengers with seamless passage through security check and boarding gate.

"Camera on" is from now on the motto at Hamburg Airport. After a successful introductory phase, the Star Alliance biometric face field recognition system is now officially launched there. With the new service, participating passengers from Austrian, SWISS and Lufthansa will be able to pass through security and boarding contactless and quick. In future, a single glance will suffice - without a boarding pass or smartphone.

How does it work?

Interested participants of the loyalty programme Miles & More need to register once for Star Alliance Biometrics at least 24 hours before their next Austrian, Lufthansa or SWISS flight. To do so, they need their valid passport and the latest version of the Lufthansa App or Miles & More App. As soon as they have registered, they can pass through the central security checkpoint and the boarding gates A17 and C16 at Hamburg Airport without contact. The entrances at the gate and at the fast lanes of the central security checkpoint are clearly marked. Their face is automatically captured by the camera installed there and compared with your stored image. The travelers can keep their mouth-nose coverings, which they currently have to wear in the terminal for health protection. If there is a positive match, the entrances open automatically.  

Register one time, use multiple times.

The Star Alliance Biometrics platform, on which the technology is based, was already successfully launched in November 2020 at the Frankfurt, Munich and Vienna hubs with the aim of providing passengers with a seamless travel experience. Hamburg Airport is thus the fourth participating airport. Once registered, passengers can use biometric access at all participating airports.

The identification solution used in Star Alliance Biometrics is powered by NEC I: Delight facial recognition technology from Japan's NEC Corporation and is available to Miles & More participants who have agreed to the use of their biometric data during the travel process.