Lufthansa has announced plans to create a low-cost long-haul airline subsidiary that will focus on destinations in Southeast Asia.
The new airline will be based in either Munich, Cologne or Dusseldorf and will commence operations in 2015. Lufthansa stated that it was in “advanced” talks with fellow Star Alliance member Turkish Airlines over the possibility of operating the new airline as a joint venture.
Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr said: “In the dynamic and highly price-sensitive market segments, our current platforms only enable us to exploit the growth potential to a limited extent, in view of their sometimes over-rigid cost structure. That’s why we are now seeking to tap new growth areas.”
Lufthansa stated that the new airline would begin with a fleet of up to nine B767s and A330s that would be sourced from Lufthansa’s existing fleet.
Spohr said: “What is most important is to get going very quickly, so we have to use the aircraft we have.”
The new airline announcement comes soon after Lufthansa issued a profit warning, partly blaming overcapacity on certain routes, which is an issue reported by several other EU airlines.