Friday April 18, 2008
Lufthansa will strengthen the independent hub system it initiated in October 2006 at Frankfurt and Munich, where it installed managers responsible for their own fleet, employees and operations. "We realized economical and operating synergies [at FRA and MUC]. For example, since we split the fleet at each hub, aircraft efficiency has increased by 5%," Executive VP Karl Ulrich Garnadt told ATWOnline. "We found out that splitting LH into smaller, separate operational units made sense," he said, and the company is examining how to expand on this potential. It already has planned to build a new cabin crew center at MUC and a flight simulator center could follow. "We will have 1,000 pilots based in Munich. It is logical to also expand the training facilities," he said. If LH's expansion at Dusseldorf is successful, it is possible a hub manager could be installed there as well.
In the short term, the Munich manager is responsible for 24 long-haul and approximately 100 narrowbody aircraft. "By introducing the A380, more big planes like the A340-600 could transfer to MUC," Garnadt said. But MUC is running out of capacity and LH is in talks with airport operator FMG to expand its terminal facilities. "We would need the [upgraded] facility in 2010, but it may not be available until 2012," he said. LH handled 18.2 million passengers at the airport last year and is expecting annual growth of 7%.
Separately, Garnadt said there are "a bunch of new destinations on our agenda." He said LH is studying expanding its service to oil-producing countries, especially in Africa, and this summer will operate a six-times-weekly flight to Pune aboard a wet-leased PrivatAir all-business-class A319LR.
by Kurt Hofmann
ATWOnline
Lufthansa will strengthen the independent hub system it initiated in October 2006 at Frankfurt and Munich, where it installed managers responsible for their own fleet, employees and operations. "We realized economical and operating synergies [at FRA and MUC]. For example, since we split the fleet at each hub, aircraft efficiency has increased by 5%," Executive VP Karl Ulrich Garnadt told ATWOnline. "We found out that splitting LH into smaller, separate operational units made sense," he said, and the company is examining how to expand on this potential. It already has planned to build a new cabin crew center at MUC and a flight simulator center could follow. "We will have 1,000 pilots based in Munich. It is logical to also expand the training facilities," he said. If LH's expansion at Dusseldorf is successful, it is possible a hub manager could be installed there as well.
In the short term, the Munich manager is responsible for 24 long-haul and approximately 100 narrowbody aircraft. "By introducing the A380, more big planes like the A340-600 could transfer to MUC," Garnadt said. But MUC is running out of capacity and LH is in talks with airport operator FMG to expand its terminal facilities. "We would need the [upgraded] facility in 2010, but it may not be available until 2012," he said. LH handled 18.2 million passengers at the airport last year and is expecting annual growth of 7%.
Separately, Garnadt said there are "a bunch of new destinations on our agenda." He said LH is studying expanding its service to oil-producing countries, especially in Africa, and this summer will operate a six-times-weekly flight to Pune aboard a wet-leased PrivatAir all-business-class A319LR.
by Kurt Hofmann
ATWOnline
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