For the first time ever Lufthansa German Airlines was carrying more than half a million passengers between Athens and Germany (512.000) during…
For the first time ever Lufthansa German Airlines was carrying more than half a million passengers between Athens and Germany (512.000) during the first 10 months 2002. That is 7% more than the year before.
Due to the increasing demand, especially on their route between Athens and Munich, Germany, Lufthansa decided to add an additional service between the two cities as of March 30th, 2003.
Within the Lufthansa network the route Athens-Munich was operating with the highest seat load factor within Europe, Athens – Frankfurt was on rank four this year, Michael Suesser, General Manager Greece & Cyprus stated at a press conference at the Athens Intercontinental. In September this year both Athens routes took the top rankings within the European Lufthansa network based on seat load factor, whereby Athens-Frankfurt was positioned at rank 2 with 90,3% and Athens – Munich at 1st rank with 94,8%, he explained.
This in line with the increasing yields (nearly 5% compared to last year) encourages us to add the third daily flight to the schedule for Greece. The additional flight will be scheduled for leaving Athens daily at 14.30 hrs and arriving in Munich at 16.00 hrs. The return flight will be leaving Munich at 09.15 a.m. and will arrive in Athens at 12.50 a.m. The route will be operated with an Airbus A 319 with a capacity of 125 seats. So all together Lufthansa will offer a capacity of 1,250 seats daily (one way).
With the then 3 daily flights to Munich and 3 daily flights to Frankfurt Lufthansa will strengthen their position as the leading foreign carrier in the Greek market, Mr. Suesser added.
With the new summer timetable Lufthansa offers departures from Athens well spread throughout the day. From early in the morning to late afternoon Greek passengers have a wide choice of departures, more flexibility in their travel planning and smooth connections to more than 386 European and Intercontinental Star Alliance destinations.
Munich Airport – the hub of the South as a hub of growth
Munich Josef-Strauss-Airport will play a more and more important role for Lufthansa as it will continue to be the mainstay of Lufthansa’s growth in the future, Mr. Suesser stated. Already with the new winter timetable 2002/2003 some 1,700 Lufthansa flights will take-off each week from Munich Airport. Germany’s youngest and most advanced passenger airport profited from its rapid traffic growth to ascend to the ranks of Europe’s top ten passenger airports, and today holds down eighth place. Passenger volume at Munich increased by an annual average of six percent during the first decade. This growth rate is 50 percent better than the average of all other German airports during the same period. This unparalleled success story written by Munich Airport, which has set new records year after year, is reflected in its steadily increasing importance as an international air transport hub. The percentage of passengers changing planes in Munich has more than doubled from 13 percent in 1992 to 29 percent today.
Opening of the new MUC Terminal 2 – the Lufthansa Terminal – on June 29, 2003
The upcoming completion of Terminal 2, to be jointly operated by Munich Airport and Lufthansa as of the summer of 2003, will boost the airport’s annual passenger handling capacity to 50 million.
The new terminal is a joint project being conducted by Flughafen Munchen GmbH (FMG) and Deutsche Lufthansa AG and, as such, represents a world first in international aviation: For the first time, an airport and an airline are sharing the entrepreneurial responsibility for the construction and operation of a terminal.
Construction of the new terminal building is to be managed by two subsidiaries in which FMG and Lufthansa have 60% and 40% stakes, respectively. These subsidiaries will rent the terminal building to the operating company, Terminal 2 Betriebsgesellschaft mbH, in which FMG and Lufthansa again have respective holdings of 60% and 40%.
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