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Germany’s Lufthansa records first net profit since the start of pandemic

Lufthansa said Thursday its freight operations propelled the German airline group to its first net profit since the start of the coronavirus pandemic - despite the airline being plagued by chaos due to staff shortages and pay disputes.

Published: 4 August 2022 09:14 CEST
An empty Lufthansa counter in Munich during a strike by ground staff on July 27th.
An empty Lufthansa counter in Munich during a strike by ground staff on July 27th. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Peter Kneffel

Between April and June, Lufthansa recorded a net profit of €259 million ($263 million), over one billion euros more than the same period last year and its first positive quarter since the end of 2019.

Lufthansa was “back in the black”, CEO Carsten Spohr said in a statement, describing the pandemic as “the most severe financial crisis in our history”.

The group – which includes Eurowings, Austrian, Swiss and Brussels Airlines – made huge net losses of €6.7 billion in 2020 and €2.2 billion in 2021 as the pandemic shut down large parts of the airline industry.

Lufthansa was saved from bankruptcy by a government bailout in June 2020.

The improved figures were lifted by a “record” result for Lufthansa Cargo, which has benefitted from high demand and “ongoing disruptions in ocean freight”.

The freight division booked an operating – or underlying – profit of €482 million in the second quarter, a 48-percent improvement on last year.

A “boom” in demand for travel saw the result for Lufthansa’s passenger airlines “improved significantly” though they remained in the red, with the exception of Swiss.

Amid recent chaos at airports, Lufthansa said it would start recruiting again, bringing 5,000 new employees on board.

It comes after the airline slashed over 30,000 jobs since the start of the pandemic, out of 140,000 positions globally.

READ ALSO: Lufthansa pays back German bailout early – but job cuts still stand

A shortage of workers has left airports and airlines struggling to process high numbers of passengers, after they cut back their operations during the pandemic.

Lufthansa is also caught in disputes over pay and conditions. Ground staff carried out a strike on July 27th, while there are also threats of strikes from the Vereinigung Cockpit union, which represents German pilots. 

READ ALSO: Why is flying in Germany so expensive and chaotic right now?

During the ground crew strike, Verdi union said staff needed more money because they were essentially burnt out after “two years of the pandemic and massive job cuts”, as well rising inflation. 

Despite the disruption and the clouded outlook for the economy, Lufthansa said it “expects demand for tickets to remain high for the remaining months of the year”.

For the whole of 2022 Lufthansa planned to offer 75 percent of its pre-crisis capacity on passenger airlines.

The group also put a number on an expected operating profit for the year, saying it anticipated a result “above 500 million euros”.

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TRAVEL NEWS

Where traffic will be worst in Germany over the holiday weekend

If you're driving this holiday weekend, you might run into some traffic jams. Here are the roads where it's expected to get busy.

Published: 26 May 2023 10:39 CEST
Where traffic will be worst in Germany over the holiday weekend

People in Germany can expect a nationwide holiday on Monday May 29th for Pfingsten (Pentecost).

As many people are getting a day off work to enjoy the long weekend, the roads are going to be busy. 

Germany’s ADAC – Europe’s largest automobile association – says drivers should expect worst traffic jams on Friday afternoon, Saturday morning and on Whit Monday. 

“Holidaymakers must be prepared for long traffic jams on the Whitsun weekend,” said the ADAC. “Holiday traffic as well as more than 1,300 road works will make car journeys a test of patience.”

READ ALSO: 9 of the best day trips from Frankfurt with the €49 ticket

By contrast, it should be relatively quiet on the trunk roads on Whit Sunday. 

Here are the routes (and areas) expected to be most congested:

  • Greater Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Munich
  • Trunk roads to the North Sea and Baltic Sea
  • A1 Cologne – Dortmund – Bremen – Lübeck
  • A2 Dortmund – Hanover – Berlin
  • A1/A3/A4 Cologne ring road
  • A3 Oberhausen – Frankfurt – Nuremberg – Passau
  • A4 Kirchheimer Dreieck – Erfurt – Dresden
  • A5 Hattenbacher Dreieck – Frankfurt – Karlsruhe – Basel
  • A6 Kaiserslautern – Mannheim – Heilbronn – Nuremberg
  • A7 Hamburg – Flensburg
  • A7 Hamburg – Hanover – Würzburg – Füssen/Reutte
  • A8 Karlsruhe – Stuttgart – Munich – Salzburg
  • A9 Munich – Nuremberg – Berlin
  • A10 Berlin Ring
  • A11 Berliner Ring – Uckermark junction
  • A19 Wittstock/Dosse triangle – Rostock
  • A24 Berlin – Hamburg
  • A61 Mönchengladbach – Koblenz – Ludwigshafen
  • A81 Stuttgart – Singen
  • A93 Inntaldreieck – Kufstein
  • A95 / B2 Munich – Garmisch-Partenkirchen
  • A96 Munich – Lindau
  • A99 Munich bypass

Another obstacle that could make travel difficult is roadworks. The ADAC said there are currently 1,304 motorway construction sites across Germany.

Here’s where there are some short-term closures:

  • A45 Hagen – Gießen in both directions between Hagen-Süd and Lüdenscheid-Nord on Sunday, May 28th, from 10am to 4pm
  • A59 Düsseldorf – Cologne in both directions between Kreuz Leverkusen-West and the end of the A59 extension (Rheinallee) from 10pm on Friday, May 26th, to 10pm on Sunday
  • A30 Amsterdam – Rheine in both directions near Salzbergen until May 30th, 5pm

Here’s a look at the longer-term closures to look out for:

  • A44 Kassel towards Dortmund between Dreieck Kassel-Süd and Kreuz Kassel-West until 30th January 2024
  • A45 Hagen towards Gießen between Lüdenscheid-Nord and Sauerland service area until further notice
  • A45 Gießen towards Hagen between Lüdenscheid and Lüdenscheid-Nord until further notice
  • A49 Kassel towards Gießen between Kreuz Kassel-West and Baunatal-Mitte until January 30th 2024
  • A66 Wiesbaden – Frankfurt in both directions between Wiesbaden-Biebrich and Wiesbaden-Mainzer Straße until further notice
  • A94 Munich – Passau in both directions between Malching and junction B12-Malching-Nord until September 30th 2023
  • A226 Travemünde direction Bad Schwartau between Lübeck-Siems and Dreieck Bad Schwartau from now until June 19th, 5 p.m.

Keep in mind that diversions are signposted and there may be some changes at short notice. 

Building sites and expected congested traffic over the holiday weekend.

Building sites and expected congested traffic over the holiday weekend. Photo: ADAC/DPA

What about neighbouring countries?

If you’re driving out of Germany, you’ll also probably experience some heavy traffic. 

International routes such as the Tauern, Inntal, Rheintal and Brenner motorways, as well as the Gotthard route are likely to be affected. 

Some popular destinations include the Carinthian lakes, the Salzkammergut and Lake Neusiedl in Austria as well as resorts in the Swiss cantons of Ticino and Valais.

If you are heading into neighbouring Austria, note that the Arlberg road tunnel is closed until the beginning of October, and drivers have to use the Arlberg Pass as a detour.

READ ALSO: Which foreign countries can you visit with Germany’s €49 ticket?

Can you avoid the traffic?

Experts say that people shouldn’t take a secondary route unless it’s an official diversion. 

That’s because traffic then builds up on smaller roads and clogs up smaller towns. 

“The police strictly control the alternative routes on the weekends and holidays,” said ADAC traffic expert Alexander Kreipl. Rescue services can also be affected by the increased traffic volume if too many people use other routes. 

Instead it’s best to try and travel at a time that isn’t so busy – or make sure you have plenty of water, snacks and good music in the car and be prepared to wait. 

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