Aircraft In Lufthansa Group Better Utilized

Capacity steering attuned to demand in first-half 2013 ensures fuller aircraft in passenger and freight traffic

The aircraft of all airlines in the Lufthansa Group – Lufthansa German Airlines (including Germanwings and Lufthansa Regional), SWISS, Austrian Airlines and Lufthansa Cargo –were better utilized in the first half 2013.

Increased utilization is attributable to more demand-driven and more flexible steering of capacity measured in seat and freight-tonne kilometers than in the previous term.

All in all, the Group airlines carried a total of around 49.5 million passengers in the first six months – virtually as many as in the previous year (minus 0.4 percent) despite a smaller number of flights. This was achieved by deploying new and bigger aircraft, which are also more fuel-efficient and quieter.

Although capacity was down marginally (minus 0.1 percent) across the Group, the airlines in the Group lifted sales (in revenue seat-kilometres) in the first half by 1.4 percent.

In the passenger business, the seat load factor rose accordingly by 1.2 percentage points to 78.1 percent.

The cargo load factor for the Group closed the term at 69.1 percent, a plus of 0.1 percentage points on the level for the first half in the previous year.

The Lufthansa Group’s financial results for the first half 2013 will be published on 2 August 2013.