Lufthansa Group had a record summer. Sales in the third quarter were 10.3 billion euros (9.5 billion last year), with an operating profit (EBIT) of 1.5 billion. Not only Lufthansa Group posted profits, but for the first time all affiliated individual airlines recorded black figures. CEO Carsten Spohr expects an operating profit of 2.6 billion for the full fiscal year 2023, he told reporters Thursday at the quarterly earnings presentation. The core Lufthansa label posted revenues of 12.1 billion from January through September, Swiss accounted for 4.5 billion, while Austrain Airlines posted revenues of 1.8 billion. Brussels Airlines had sales rise by a third to 1.2 billion, and finally Eurowings recorded sales of 2 billion euros until the end of September this year. That is more than 40 percent more than a year earlier. Lufthansa Group carried 38 million passengers in July, August and September, or 5 million more than a year earlier. Over 70 percent of passengers began their journeys outside Germany. Lufthansa Group expects high demand for airline tickets in the coming months. The very high summer demand continued into October and the demand for air travel during the Christmas season is also strong. Demand on short- and long-haul routes remains high, especially among private travelers. The German airline group signals an ongoing trend toward more bookings in premium classes, such as Business Class or First Class. Lufthansa Group expects capacity to increase to about 95 percent of pre-crisis levels by 2024. According to current delivery plans, the company will receive about 30 new aircraft during the year. The group says it is aware of geopolitical and macroeconomic risks, which include the Middle East. Lufthansa will retain maximum flexibility to adjust its plans as needed. (Photo Lufthansa).
