A Lufthansa plane on the tarmac in Frankfurt, Germany. - Daniel ROLAND / AFP

The Lufthansa airline announced on Wednesday that it was canceling 23,000 flights between March 29 and April 24. A decision made because of the coronavirus epidemic, which has drastically reduced its flight capabilities.

Lufthansa "today publishes reduced flight plans," the German group said in a statement. “Additional cancellations are expected for the next few weeks. A few days earlier, 7,100 flights had already been canceled until March 28.

Many air routes canceled

The air transport giant had already announced this Friday the reduction to 50% of its flight capacity (the number of passengers it could transport) after a "drastic drop in reservations". "Adaptations for the period after April 25 will follow later," the company added in its release.

Lufthansa Group will continue to suspend flights to mainland China until April 24, 2020 due to the coronavirus Flights to Hong Kong and Seoul are reduced in March and April. Further information: https://t.co/t6Sdeu0Fym

- Lufthansa (@lufthansa) March 2, 2020

These reductions mainly concern Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Lufthansa aims to "keep accessible" all destinations, with at least one group company departing from its hubs (Frankfurt, Munich, Zurich, Vienna and Brussels). Its Austrian Airlines subsidiary announced the abolition of all its flights with Italy "until further notice". Ditto for Brussels Airlines, another subsidiary, "between March 12 and April 3".

Part of the immobilized fleet

Lufthansa will also freeze its hires and offer unpaid leave to its employees. The airline is studying the option of partial unemployment, according to a spokesman. This Friday, its Austrian Airlines subsidiary filed (for the first time since 2008) a request to this effect at Pôle Emploi, with a start expected on April 1.

Lufthansa is also considering immobilizing its entire fleet of Airbus 1380s, 14 planes based in Frankfurt and Munich. The group has suspended flights to mainland China, Iran and Israel and canceled part of its routes to Italy due to the coronavirus. On the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, the title has lost 38% since early 2020 and posted -2.25% to 10.19 euros this Wednesday afternoon.

World

Emirates Airline: One month without pay for its employees because of the coronavirus

Did you see ?

Coronavirus: It is forbidden to go out in Italy, even to look for cigarettes (or a prostitute)

  • World
  • Coronavirus
  • epidemic
  • Trip
  • Plane
  • Airline company
  • Lufthansa