Lufthansa Group, which consists of multiple airlines, has announced the launch of City Airlines. The aircraft will have “Lufthansa City” branding on them.
City Airlines
Lufthansa Group’s newest airline, City Airlines, will start flight operations in summer 2024. The airline was founded last year and received its Air Operator Certificate (AOC) from the German Federal Aviation Authority back in June 2023.
The airline will have its hubs in Munich and Frankfurt and offer feeder flights to Lufthansa. Note that Lufthansa Cityline will continue to be a seperate entity and City Airlines will operate alongside Lufthansa CityLine. Recruitment of operational staff will begin in November 2023, with pilots and cabin crew members needed for the launch.
With City Airlines, we want to create prospects for the coming decades and secure sustainable jobs in Germany. This is the only way for us to grow and sustainably strengthen the hubs in Munich and Frankfurt.
said Jens Fehlinger, Managing Director, City Airlines.
Stay up to date: Sign up for my newsletter to never miss latest Aviation and Travel news.
Lufthansa Group says that the competitive “strengthening of the short-haul network is essential for the market position of Lufthansa Group and for the planned growth of the long-haul segment in the German market”.
City Airlines will start operations with Airbus A319 aircraft. The group says that it is considering adding either the Airbus A220 or Embraer aircraft to its fleet. Passengers can look forward to a Lufthansa customer experience on board City Airlines aircraft.
The group states that “in order to position City Airlines for the long-term”, English-speaking pilots are also being considered in the recruitment process for cockpit roles. Applicants with prior experience will be given preference during hiring. For Group employees interested in switching to City Airlines, Lufthansa Group will consider offers with voluntary switching conditions. This includes Lufthansa CityLine staff in particular.
What to make of this?
The launch of City Airlines comes at a time when large airline groups around the world are trying to address the evolving customer demands. Lufthansa has always been a hub-and-spoke airline and City Airlines will help Lufthansa by offering feeder flights.
However, the question that arises in my mind is that does Lufthansa really need yet another airline for addressing demand for short-haul and medium-haul flights when it already has Lufthansa CityLine doing the same thing? It all remains to be seen but the group is confident that it is securing itself for the long-term by launching this new subsidiary airline.
Featured image by Lufthansa
What do you think of City Airlines? Let me know in the comments section below.
Follow IH Aviation and Travel on Social Media on Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.