In an interview with IATA’s Airlines publication, Austrian Airlines CEO Annette Mann shared some insights into Lufthansa Group cooperation. The group consists of several carriers other than the Vienna-based subsidiary, including Brussels Airlines , SWISS and Eurowings for instance. Lufthansa also recently purchased a stake in ITA Airways , with a view to puchase the remainder of the company in the future.
What does the group bring to each individual airline, and how does that impact the passenger? Mann answered that question to some degree, using the New York JFK operation as an example. New York JFK collaboration Mann says that Austrian Airlines is simply too small on its own, adding that Lufthansa Group collaboration ensures the company is future fit. “The relationship with the Lufthansa Group is extremely important.
Austrian has 68 aircraft and more than 6,000 people and so we would be too small on our own and need that group support for a sustainable future.” The group dynamic encourages a degree of centralization of tasks, although ultimately allowing each airline to manage their schedules where it makes more sense. For the New York operation, as several LHG airlines operate to JFK, a group-coordinated approach makes sense.
Mann clarifies: “But we do retain our independence even though we work closely together. As an example, we have our own commercial team. but, of course, it makes sense to align our networks.
So, with a popular destination New York, for example.