Slow start for Lufthansa on new U.S. route after Air Berlin collapse
Harry Hohmeister
Lufthansa ’ s ( LHAG . DE ) first flight from Berlin to the United States in over 16 years took off on Wednesday   although a slow start to sales shows the difficulties involved in trying to replace the gaps left by insolvent rival Air Berlin . FILE PHOTO : A Lufthansa Airbus A321 - 200 plane is seen at Tegel airport in Berlin   Germany   November 2   2017 . REUTERS / Axel Schmidt Germany ’ s second largest carrier Air Berlin ( AB1 . DE ) filed for insolvency in August and carried out its last flight at the end of last month   leaving a gap in the market for long - haul flights from the German capital in particular . “ Of course bookings are slow at this stage  ”  Lufthansa board member Harry Hohmeister  told Reuters at Berlin ’ s Tegel airport ahead of the departure of the flight to New York ’ s JFK on Wednesday .  He  said that usually Lufthansa would give 12 months notice of a new long - haul route   or eight months at a minimum   but in this case it had only six weeks to sell tickets ahead of the first flight . “ The next four weeks will be difficult   then we get a peak at Christmas time and then it will develop better   otherwise we wouldn ’ t do it  ”  Hohmeister  said . Lufthansa has traditionally shied away from long - haul flights from Berlin   instead flying intercontinental routes from its hubs in Frankfurt and Munich .  Hohmeister  said the Lufthansa group was currently looking at other long - haul options from Berlin   but that any would likely be flown by its budget arm Eurowings . Lufthansa is currently awaiting EU approval for a deal to take over large parts of Air Berlin   which will see it adding 81 planes to the group . The collapse of Air Berlin means Berlin Airports will see a dip in passenger number growth this year after a period of strong demand . Britain ’ s easyJet ( EZJ . L )  which is planning to take over some Air Berlin operations at Tegel   has said it expects to run a reduced schedule this winter from the airport . “ We expect that new partners will quickly bring growth  ” Berlin Airports CEO Engelbert Luetke Dalderup said   urging Lufthansa to “ never say never ” to the idea of Berlin as a hub .
Lufthansa ’ s ( LHAG . DE ) first flight from Berlin to the United States in over 16 years took off on Wednesday   although a slow start to sales shows the difficulties involved in trying to replace the gaps left by insolvent rival Air Berlin . FILE PHOTO : A Lufthansa Airbus A321 - 200 plane is seen at Tegel airport in Berlin   Germany   November 2   2017 . REUTERS / Axel Schmidt Germany ’ s second largest carrier Air Berlin ( AB1 . DE ) filed for insolvency in August and carried out its last flight at the end of last month   leaving a gap in the market for long - haul flights from the German capital in particular . “ Of course bookings are slow at this stage  ”  [TGT]told Reuters at Berlin ’ s Tegel airport ahead of the departure of the flight to New York ’ s JFK on Wednesday .  [TGT]  said that usually Lufthansa would give 12 months notice of a new long - haul route   or eight months at a minimum   but in this case it had only six weeks to sell tickets ahead of the first flight . “ The next four weeks will be difficult   then we get a peak at Christmas time and then it will develop better   otherwise we wouldn ’ t do it  ”  [TGT]said . Lufthansa has traditionally shied away from long - haul flights from Berlin   instead flying intercontinental routes from its hubs in Frankfurt and Munich .  [TGT]said the Lufthansa group was currently looking at other long - haul options from Berlin   but that any would likely be flown by its budget arm Eurowings . Lufthansa is currently awaiting EU approval for a deal to take over large parts of Air Berlin   which will see it adding 81 planes to the group . The collapse of Air Berlin means Berlin Airports will see a dip in passenger number growth this year after a period of strong demand . Britain ’ s easyJet ( EZJ . L )  which is planning to take over some Air Berlin operations at Tegel   has said it expects to run a reduced schedule this winter from the airport . “ We expect that new partners will quickly bring growth  ” Berlin Airports CEO Engelbert Luetke Dalderup said   urging Lufthansa to “ never say never ” to the idea of Berlin as a hub .