Lufthansa suspends Bristol service

1 April 2009 Lufthansa suspends Bristol service South West presence maintained with introduction of the new bilateral code sharing with Brussels Airlines Lufthansa is suspending services between Bristol and Frankfurt effective 1st May 2009 as the airline continues to adjust capacities due to the decline in demand during the current economic downturn. Announcing the decision, Marianne Sammann, Lufthansa General Manager UK & Ireland said: “The economic downturn in the UK started shortly after we launched our Bristol operation and this presented us with additional challenges. Despite our best efforts to manage the situation by reducing the frequency of the service from 21 to 14 flights a week at the start of the winter schedule, when long established services to Bordeaux, Yerevan, and Bratislava were already being suspended, we have now been forced to make a very difficult decision. Passenger figures for the four months from November to February have dropped by around twelve per cent compared with the previous four months and this downward trend is not expected to change in the near future. “I would like to express my thanks and appreciation to the management and staff at Bristol International Airport for.their support during the past twelve months. They have delivered an exceptionally high service standard to our customers and we will continue to closely monitor passenger demand in the hope that we will be able to resume our Bristol operation as and when the economic climate improves. I firmly believe Bristol International Airport is an excellent airport with great opportunities and potential for growth which will provide a substantial boost to the economy of the South West. “Despite the suspension of our Bristol operation, Lufthansa will be maintaining a presence in the South West following the introduction of the new bilateral code sharing with Brussels Airlines. We will also be liaising closely with our South West frequent flyers to reassure them that Lufthansa is committed to meeting their needs and will continue to focus on the development of attractive products and services. We will continue to expand our role as Europe’s most attractive airline. The crisis does not represent standstill at Lufthansa – on the contrary! Major investments in the development of new products and services will allow us to offer our customers true added value and greater comfort.” By 2013, Lufthansa will have invested about 150 million euros in the renovation and improvement of its lounges across the world. During the past twelve months alone, 17 new lounges throughout the world have been opened or reopened after renovations and improvements. There are also changes to the on-board product. As of late summer, two of the three Lufthansa Business Jets, which are operated for Lufthansa by PrivateAir, will additionally be equipped with Economy Class seats. They will be introduced on the Frankfurt–Bahrain and Frankfurt–Dammam routes in September with 32 seats in Business Class and 60 seats in Economy Class. The aircraft will be equipped with the latest generation of seats with integrated in-flight entertainment in both classes. Lufthansa’s summer schedule offers a total of 14,038 weekly flights providing UK passengers with connections to 206 destinations in 78 countries worldwide. The 2009 summer schedule started on Sunday, 29 March and is valid until Saturday, 24 October 2009. The Lufthansa route map on www.lufthansa.com makes it easier for customers to plan their journeys. The interactive world map conveys a quick and simple overview of the available direct destinations from a specific departure airport, as well as the available options for connecting flights. The map has a convenient zoom and move function. For further press information contact: Aage Duenhaupt / Gudrun Gorner Dave Sanders Lufthansa German Airlines Dave Sanders & Associates Ltd Tel: + 44 20 8750 3415 Tel/Fax: 01257 278767 Fax: + 44 20 8759 1987 Email: http://media.lufthansa.com lhmedia@davesandersassociates.com