Lufthansa

Watchdog slams Lufthansa over 'algorithm' price hikes

london - Emiratesvoice

Germany's competition watchdog on Thursday rubbished Lufthansa's claim that recent price hikes on domestic routes were purely down to automated booking software, saying companies shouldn't "hide behind algorithms". Germany's Federal Cartel Office (FCO) is currently probing complaints that Lufthansa fares shot up on some routes after bankrupt rival Air Berlin stopped flying in late October. Lufthansa has denied changing itsRead more

EU approves Lufthansa buyout

Brussels - Emiratesvoice

German carrier Lufthansa clinched EU approval Thursday for its scaled back bid to snap up assets of bankrupt Air Berlin, a European Union statement said. Responding to signals that the EU would veto its initial plans, the German behemoth last week ditched its bid to buy Air Berlin's Austrian unit Niki, focusing instead on the acquisition of the failed airline'sRead more

Lufthansa gives up on buying

Frankfurt - Emirates Voice

Austrian airline Niki faced insolvency and its planes being grounded Wednesday as Lufthansa gave up on plans to buy it from bankrupt Air Berlin in the face of competition concerns from the European Commission. "Lufthansa informed Air Berlin and its insolvency managers that it will pursue the planned transaction without the purchase of Niki," the airline said in a statement.Read more

Passengers face new security interviews

Washington - AFP

US-bound travelers will face security interviews before checking in for flights at a number of global airlines beginning Thursday as anti-terror measures are stepped up around the world. Lufthansa, Emirates, Air France and Norwegian Air confirmed to AFP Wednesday that US authorities had asked for tougher controls at departure airports for non-stop flights to the United States. Other carriers issuedRead more

Lufthansa says snaps up 81 planes, 3,000 staff from Air Berlin

Berlin - Emirates Voice

Germany's biggest airline Lufthansa will buy up more than half of the aircraft of its bankrupt competitor Air Berlin, chief executive Carsten Spohr said Thursday. On a "great day" for the Frankfurt-based carrier, it will sign a contract to buy 81 of Air Berlin's 144 planes and take on 3,000 of its 8,500 staff at noon (1000 GMT) Thursday, SpohrRead more

Air Berlin's administrator takes in bids

Abu Dhabi - Emirates Voice

Lufthansa and several other parties had put in bids for parts of Air Berlin by the deadline of Friday set by the administrator of the insolvent airline which employs more than 8,000 people. Germany's second-biggest airline after Lufthansa filed for bankruptcy last month after major shareholder Etihad Airways withdrew funding following years of losses. The country's coalition government led byRead more

Air Berlin files for insolvency proceedings

Frankfurt - Emirats Voice

Germany's struggling budget airline Air Berlin on Tuesday said it had filed for insolvency proceedings after its main shareholder Etihad Airways said it "would not provide any further financial support". The German government was providing a bridging loan to keep flights going, it added in a statement, while German rival Lufthansa said in a separate statement it was in talksRead more

Lufthansa cautious for year ahead after boost in 2016

Frankfurt am Main - AFP

German airline group Lufthansa said Thursday it had met its financial targets in 2016, but offered only modest forecasts for the current year, squeezed between falling prices and higher costs. The Frankfurt-based firm reported net profit of 1.78 billion euros ($1.9 billion) for last year in a statement, a 4.6-percent increase on 2015's figure and in line with its ownRead more

Berlin airport workers to strike again on Monday over pay

Berlin - Arab today

Ground staff at Berlin's two airports will start a 25-hour strike on Monday, the Verdi union said on Sunday, stepping up action in a pay dispute that has already caused the cancellation of around 1,000 flights. Workers at Berlin's Tegel and Schoenefeld airports will walk out at 4 am local time (0300 GMT) on Monday and end the actionRead more

Lufthansa chief wants WTO applied in aviationLufthansa chief wants WTO applied in aviation

ABU DHABI - Arab Today

The Lufthansa chief on Wednesday reiterated the German carrier’s opposition to state subsidies for airlines, as he signed a cooperation deal with Abu Dhabi’s Etihad, one of the main Gulf carriers accused of receiving government support. “It is not a secret that Lufthansa has always been and remains an opponent of state subsidies,” Carsten Spohr said at a joint pressRead more