Lufthansa Reaffirms Commitment to Charlotte-Munich Route

Check-in at Munich Airport

Lufthansa, Germany’s flagship carrier, said Tuesday that it will continue to operate its daily flight from Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina to Munich.

The withdrawal of US Airways, Lufthansa’s partner in the Star Alliance, had led to speculation that the airline would discontinue the flight.  Lufthansa held a series of meetings this week to say: “We are committed to stay in Charlotte.”  US Airways will leave the alliance at the end of March and join oneworld, an alliance anchored by American Airlines and British Airways.

Charlotte is an important hub for US Airways and accounts for almost 90% of the flights there, serving as a valuable hub for Lufthansa in the region.

Jürgen Siebenrock, Lufthansa’s vice president of the Americas, told reporters on Tuesday that the route “has been one of our best… overall,” noting that the “interaction between Germany and this market is strong.”

Over 200 German companies have a presence in and around Charlotte, including Continental Tire, Daimler Trucks North America, and Siemens Energy.  BMW has a factory in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and is one of Lufthansa’s largest corporate customers.  Over 40% of passengers on a typical Charlotte-Munich flight are business travelers, Siebenrock said, mirroring Lufthansa’s overall passenger profile.

(Photo: Accura Media Group)