Lufthansa rules out Leeds Bradford launch
13th May 2011
By Ian Briggs - Deputy Editor, Yorkshire
AIRLINE Lufthansa has no plans to increase its regional aiport base - including launching flights from Leeds Bradford International Airport - its UK and Ireland general manager has said.
Speaking to TheBusinessDesk.com at its major Frankfurt Airport hub in Germany, Marianne Sammann, Lufthansa's UK and Ireland general manager, said: "We're always looking at the options but opening another (base) very close to our existing bases would be just competing with Manchester which has such a big catchment."
Ms Sammann's comments come as Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary said this week that he expects passengers using its services from Leeds Bradford to pass the 1m mark this winter.
Lufthansa saw passenger numbers out of Manchester Airport increase by more than a fifth over the first four months of 2011 as Ms Sammann said customers continue to look for "real value".
Ms Sammann said: "We were carefully optimistic about how 2011 would develop so we're really pleased with the start to the year.
"We're a commercially sound and healthy company. Our passengers are looking for a carrier of trust but they also want a carrier that offers real value for money."
Ms Sammann said the airline's price offers - Lufthansa offers flights to Germany starting at £89 from the UK - were complemented by services including mobile phone check-in and bag allowance prices being frozen.
"For 2011 we are on track," she said. "We have made sensible investments such as short-haul flights and we're on track against a background which you can't say is bouyant or bullish. It's certainly good news."
Ms Sammann refuted the suggestion that holidaymakers were staying in the UK because of the tough economic climate.
"If you look at our sales I don't feel that," she said. "Our passengers in Europe buy online and we've seen fantastic growth online.
"People do need a break and it's still a good market. Fares are still good."
Between the start of January and the end of April, passenger numbers out of Manchester grew year-on-year by 218,089 (21.8%).
The airline operates 87 flights a week from Manchester to Frankfurt, Munich, Dusseldorf and most recently Stuttgart.
From Birmingham Airport passengers increased by more than a quarter over the first four months of the year.