Germany’s Lufthansa will be cancelling a number of flights from its Frankfurt hub to cities across the former Yugoslavia as an ongoing staff shortage continues to plague both the airline and the industry. According to “Aeroroutes”, the cancellations will affect services to Belgrade, Zagreb, Ljubljana and Sarajevo, however, operations from Munich will remain unchanged at this point. Overall, the carrier is cancelling 8% of all flights within its inter-European network next month. A total of eight services have been cancelled between Frankfurt and Belgrade in September with 52 flights to operate between the two cities next month instead of the initially planned sixty.
From Zagreb, Lufthansa is also cancelling eight flights during the month of September, with a total of 44 services planned instead of the initially scheduled 52. In Ljubljana, which has avoided the bulk of the summer flight cancellations, only four flights have been cut, with a total of 56 operations planned between Frankfurt and the Slovenian capital, down from sixty. Meanwhile, services to Sarajevo will be least affected, with just one flight cancelled for a total of 29 during the month of September.
Lufthansa has been impacted by flight cancellations this summer due to a shortage of staff. The problem was further compounded last month when its ground staff went on strike, unhappy over pay and other work conditions. More industrial action may be on the cards, with pilots threatening to walk out as well. Exploratory pay talks between Lufthansa and Vereinigung Cockpit (VC), the trade union representing pilots who say they are ready to strike, have failed to produce results. "We want to remain in talks mode and have therefore offered Vereinigung Cockpit further dates to ... work out viable solutions for the future", a Lufthansa spokesperson said. On the other hand, a VC spokesperson did not rule out further talks, but said the course of action would be hashed out in the coming days. No walkouts have been announced so far.
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Is there any chance that they will introduce flights from Munich to Sarajevo?
ReplyDeleteThey used to fly MUC-SJJ but replaced it with Frankfurt 2 years ago.
DeleteI know but iis there a chance they bring back MUC and keep FRA?
DeleteI don't think so. They originally planned to increase frequencies from FRA to SJJ to double daily this summer but in the end cancelled it.
DeleteI wonder based on what they made a decision to cancel MUC and start FRA instead. Any particular reason?
DeleteDemand, traffic flow and connections.
DeleteI see that hardly anyone realises what kind of a nightmare we are sleepwalking into thanks to the wise policies of our EU overlods.... Air trafic?
DeleteWhat are you talking about?
One of the most unreliable airlines. Nothing surprising.
ReplyDeleteAnd despite all the cancellations and degradation of service, most in exYu will still claim it's the best airline in the world. Just because it's German.
DeleteIt's a very average and in some cases below-average airline in terms of hard product and service. But when things go awry (misconnects, delays, lost luggage etc.), I'd still much rather be in the hands of any LH Group airline than the likes of TK or JU.
DeleteTrue
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiAjhQqYcF0
DeleteYes we saw how reliable LH was during the strike, especially since the strike was announced well in advance so they could prepare.
Delete^^ hahaha
Delete@ 9:12
DeleteI don’t know where you get this from. I rarely see or hear anyone praising it and I live in EX-YU.
Oh please LH has god like status inn many ex-Yu markets.
DeleteLufthansa is the best in the world!
Deletethat's what most people in Serbia think.
DeleteOh no, ex-YU will have less access to their premium product. lol
ReplyDeleteSkopje is the solely winner here, no flights, no cancelations :)
ReplyDeleteIt's still a mystery to me that they don't fly to SKP
DeleteI would really like to see more of Lufthansa mainline in the region. They still have no flights to Podgorica and Pristina either.
DeleteTrust me, Skopje is not missing much without Lufthansa.
DeleteBut it is missing flights to Frankfurt. One of the world's biggest hubs.
Delete@Anonymous18:40
DeleteNajbrojnija makedonska etnička dijaspora je u Australiji. Zvanično, po australijskom popisu ih ima 111.000, nezvanične procene su 200 hiljada. U USA i Kanadi ih ima po 50-ak hiljada.
Makedoncima FRA nije primaran hub, za Skoplje je važnije da bude dobro povezano sa IST, DOH, DXB jer preko tih hubova putuju makedonski dijasporci.
Are they still selling tickets on European sectors for 600 euros to turn people away from flying? Or have they reduced prices again?
ReplyDeletePrices are standard again.
DeleteFares are up in general.
Delete^ That's the case with all airlines.
DeleteYou can not expect prices staying low or the same when monthly inflation in the Eurozone is nearly ten percent ..!
DeleteWhat a shame
ReplyDeleteI was scheduled to fly LH from Sarajevo to Frankfurt this Friday. Last Saturday they cancelled my flight with no reason given. I then went through travel agents and they gave me a flight (LH) on the Thursday. I found that too late as there were no connecting flights to my final destination (London). I asked for Wednesday and they gave me an Austrian flight via Vienna, so I booked that one. And then I received my flight information and it said I was departing on Friday? So currently I’m talking to a very unhelpful travel agent and without clue if I will get to my final destination today.
ReplyDeleteThat's crazy. Sorry to hear. Hope you can work out your flights. It's definitely a good idea to fly via Vienna. It's the only reliable airline and airport within the Lufthansa Group this summer.
DeleteSwiss/Zurich is operating pretty well too.
DeleteBetter that they cancel in advance than leave passengers at the airport and tell them to find their own way home like they have done in the past.
ReplyDeleteMore cuts are coming as the EU is about to go into a recession.
ReplyDeleteNot good at all
DeleteOf course, there is always doom and gloom for the general population. So that it never asks for more than bread crumbs. I never worry: we can always take money from the billionaires who get even richer with every single crisis. No recession for them.
DeleteNot surprised.
ReplyDeleteHow did Lufthansa miscalculate so badly and why is their CEO not being held accountable?
ReplyDeleteThey are nit the only ones.
DeletePilot strike will probably come in September. Get ready for more disruptions.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if the new buy on board concept has had an impact on their passenger numbers considering their fares have not gone down..
ReplyDeleteThey are a more expensive version of Eurowings.
DeleteYes because people in ex-Yu really need a sandwich on 1 1/2 hour flight.
DeleteNo but OU and JU now offer more to passengers than LH on the same route.
DeleteBEG-FRA is close to 2 hours and that sandwich and a drink comes in handy when your flight leaves at 06.00. It's easier to have breakfast at 06.45 than at 04.30 when you get to the airport. It's especially helpeful if you have a short connection. Food options in FRA are not good.
DeleteAgree, And it is something that passengers were used to on LH. And it's not even about the sandwich. LH doesn't even offer a complementary bottle of water.
DeleteThat's not true, you do get a bottle of water and a piece of chocolate for free on European routes.
DeleteThey didn't offer anything on my flight last time I flew with them a month ago. Maybe they ran out of water and chocolates since it was the last flight of the day.
DeleteI think when it comes to water you have to ask for it.
DeleteNo, they give small bottles of water to everyone and a LH branded chocolate.
DeleteLufthansa are failing bad.
ReplyDeleteThat's unfortunate
ReplyDeleteCould have been worse.
ReplyDeleteIt shouldn't be this bad to begin with.
DeleteCrazy. Demand finally recovers and then they go and keep cancelling flights.
ReplyDeleteIt's all part of the agenda.
DeleteIt's happening everywhere. It's not just ex-Yu flights Lufthansa is cancelling. .
ReplyDeleteNo one said they are not cancelling other routes. It says 8% of their flights are cancelled in Europe, which is rather high considering the number of flights they operate.
DeleteAre they cutting flights to Sofia and Bucharest too?
DeleteYes. Both have huge cuts.
DeleteSeptember
DeleteFrankfurt – Bucharest
planned 90
actual 68
Frankfurt – Sofia
planned 108
actual 82
Ouch
DeleteThat's considerable reduction in flights.
DeleteAlso from Munich too
DeleteMunich – Bucharest
planned 90
actual 80
Munich – Sofia
planned 90
actual 86
Wow thanks
DeleteMXP is down from 180 to 140.
DeleteOuch!
DeleteOuch!
DeleteWhen will the situation stabilize? One would think that in September when a lot of their leisure flights end they would have more staff available to maintain their other routes.
ReplyDeleteDoes Lufthansa feel any impact from all the LCC flights that have launched from ex-Yu to Germany?
ReplyDeleteHighly likely that their point to point passenger numbers are down, but they mostly rely on transfer passenger on their flights to/from ex-Yu cities.
DeleteSo much for the LH and their commitment to the region.
ReplyDeleteCommitment to passengers, not so much the region.
DeleteThey are damaging their reputation in the region which was once at a very very high level. A few more months of disruptions, high fares and degraded service, people will start to look for alternatives.
ReplyDelete+1
DeletePeople already look for alternatives! Personally I find LH services rude and disgusting and avoid them whenever I possibly can.
DeleteLufthansa has it really easy in ex-YU. The only route where they face actual, real competition is FRA-BEG. Everywhere else there is either no other operator or the flights are being operated by their partners.
Delete@An.10.09
DeleteThey are not rude to Germans, with them they do everything polite and with smile. All others, they treat like cattle.
In my 130+ flights with LH I've never had a rude flight attendant. Sure, the crews can be a bit cold and distant, but I've also had extraordinary FAs that really went out of their way. The only time I've seen a LH FA be rude to a passenger is when it was some peasant who would pass off as badly behaved in a city bus, let alone a plane.
DeleteNot defending LH in any way, just stating my own experience since I fly them the most.
I've had my fair share of poor LH service, especially on trans-continental flights. Not happy with them at all.
DeleteI'm not surprised. LH has big problems at the moment.
ReplyDeleteThe presence of LH in LJU is quite visible. They have cemented their position there. That's why they are cancelling almost no flights.
ReplyDeleteEspecially since they are getting paid to fly to Ljubljana.
DeleteI'd deduct the payments for each flight cancelled. But to do that you'd have to be awake, yet most public "servants" in SLO are in deep slumber. ZzzzZZZzzz....
DeleteThey paid Swiss last year when they were not even flying to Ljubljana or met the tender requirements to get subsidies so I don't think they will be deducting anything from Lufthansa.
DeleteWhen will this cancellation madness end?
ReplyDeleteNovember most probably
DeleteWhen the unelected EU Commission says so.
DeleteSorry but what does the EU commission have to do with the cancellation of flights?
Deleteand they got 9 billion in state aid for this.
ReplyDeleteThey have repaid the aid.
DeleteTo be fair, the passengers repaid it through massive fare increases. The taxpayers loaned it, the taxpayers (and other passengers) paid for it. Now the CEOs can reward themselves with massive bonuses for doing a job well done!
Delete^ Very true.
DeleteWell, at least they are consistent in one thing: worsening product.
ReplyDeleteI have been flying on Lufthansa since 2005 and the only thing that has not changed is the constant downgrade of their product. They went from being a relatively decent airline to whatever they are today. Bottom line is that Spohr needs to go and if the situation doesn't improve I can see him being sacked.
I had similar impression of constant service downgrade since 2005.I used tofly more with LH in the past, but I hardly fly with them today.
DeleteCompletely agree with you ...what shocks me is that Skytrax is giving them a 5 start rating while in fact they are no good for even 3 stars. Shows that in this world money buys mostly anything!
DeleteI believe they have 4 stars now.
DeleteMaybe they do I admit I was not on that site fro a while; last time I looked some time ago they were 5*
DeleteThey lost the fifth star two months ago. It was a sham from the start anyway.
DeleteThey probably lost the 5 stars when they downgraded their Skytrax advertisement and consulting package.
DeleteNot as bad as previous months. Hopefully in October their schedule is back to normal.
ReplyDeleteI doubt it will stabilize before November. Let's see.
DeleteWhich is silly because the Balkans are only becoming more popular. Should be more, not less. I'm sure if services had to be cut, could have been better targets.
ReplyDelete