Germany’s Lufthansa is considering suspending its daily flight from Frankfurt to Beijing due to fierce competition from other airlines, a spokesman said Friday.
According to the spokesman, a decision should be made in October, adding that the airline is constantly evaluating and optimizing its list of destinations.
The daily flight from the southern city of Munich to the Chinese capital is not covered by the revision, the spokesman said.
Lufthansa is facing increasing international competition, the company said, asking for support from German and European authorities.
“European airlines are in extremely unequal competition with China, but also with airlines from the Persian Gulf” and Turkey, the report said.
The airline is convinced that its competitors outside the European Union benefit from lower costs, less stringent labour laws and government investment.
Another factor is the ability of other airlines to use Russian airspace – unlike European and US carriers – resulting in shorter routes and further cost advantages.
According to Lufthansa, EU airlines are struggling with political circumstances that have weakened their competitiveness, including rising taxes and fees, strict regulations, climate policies and inadequate infrastructure.
German and European leaders must respond to the imbalance with a new industrial policy, it was said.
