Lufthansa longhaul LCC operations

[Flanker2]

Nach Insiderangaben fasst Spohr für ein neues Langstreckenangebot die Gründung einer Billigmarke ins Auge. "Wir haben konkrete Ideen, wie wir im Langstreckengeschäft einen eigenen Budgetdienst starten können", zitiert das "Handelsblatt" einen hochrangigen Lufthansa-Manager. Es gebe drei Konzepte, über die in den nächsten Tagen entschieden werde. Europas größte Fluggesellschaft wollte die Informationen nicht kommentieren.
Der Konzernspitze bereiten vor allem bestimmte Routen im ansonsten profitablen Langstreckengeschäft Sorgen. "Die Erträge auf einigen Flügen nach Asien oder zu Urlaubszielen sind besonders schwach, da es dort relativ wenige der lukrativen Geschäftskunden gibt", sagte eine mit der Sache vertraute Person der Nachrichtenagentur Reuters. Betroffen seien etwa Flüge in die Karibik oder nach Südostasien. Verbindungen nach Indien, etwa nach Hyderabad, mussten bereits eingestellt werden. "Die Lufthansa schrumpft auf einem Markt, der eigentlich wächst", sagte der Unternehmenskenner.

http://www.spiegel.de/reise/aktuell/luf ... 78347.html

An opportunity for SN?
See my below opinion.

Expanding in Africa is the wise choice, but I urge them once again to consider connections between China and Africa. LH is considering a new low-cost longhaul operation, so wouldn't it be nice if Gustin can convince the new LH CEO that SN has the right tools to compete in such capacity? If they can combine high yield China-Africa traffic with low-yield transit traffic, it could work out well for all, including LH as it will have a tool to fight the ME3's while decongesting their own FRA and MUC hubs.
VIE and ZRH can do this too but they don't have SN's access into Africa that can provide a balance in the yield spectrum and this is a unique tool that SN can offer.
Plus SN has shorthaul capacity available for feeding, which LX does not have and it will give SN the possibility to slow down TK's expansion into Africa mainly fueled by Asia-Africa traffic.
1 stone, 10 birds.

Auch Verbindungen von und nach Asien will der neue Lufthansa-Chef Carsten Spohr künftig kostengünstiger betreiben. Ob das mit Hilfe eines Partners vor Ort oder über die Gründung einer Gemeinschaftsfirma erfolgen soll, stehe noch nicht fest, schreibt der "Spiegel".

http://www.handelsblatt.com/unternehmen ... 45532.html
Translation:
Carsten Spohr also wants to operate the flights to Asia cheaper. Whether that would be in cooperation with a local partner or through the launch of a joint-venture, is not decided yet, according to Spiegel.

[andorra-airport]

Lufthansa’s executive board has presented plans for its new long-haul low-cost carrier (LCC) to the supervisory board.

The yet-to-be-named subsidiary, which is part of the Wings concept, would operate up to seven Airbus A330-300s. It will begin operations in fall 2015 with three aircraft in Munich, Düsseldorf or Cologne to take advantage of above-average growth in the leisure travel segment and round out the Lufthansa Group of airlines’ current route networks.

The aircraft could come from either the Lufthansa Group or the free aircraft market, chairman and CEO Carsten Spohr said recently.

Lufthansa is building on a new strategy to expand its LCC platform, Wings, which could include Germanwings, Eurowings and the new long-haul LCC returning to A320 operations to focus on direct point-to-point flights within Europe.


In August, Spohr said Lufthansa had been in talks with Turkish Airlines about operating its joint venture SunExpress as a LCC on long-haul routes, but no agreement has been reached.


atwonline.com