Tag Archives: Germanwings (2nd)

Lufthansa Group’s fuel consumption drops, transfers more Dusseldorf routes to Germanwings

Lufthansa Group (Lufthansa) (Frankfurt) has issued this statement concerning fuel consumption:

In 2013 the passenger airlines in the Lufthansa Group beat the four-liter mark for the first time, with an average consumption of just 3.91 liters of kerosene per passenger per 100 kilometers. This is an improvement of 3.8 per cent over 2012. In short, the aviation group achieved over twice the annual efficiency target increase of 1.5 per cent set for the airline industry.

The second piece of good news: Absolute fuel consumption of the Lufthansa Group fell for the second time in a row since 2012, by 1.3 percent year on year, despite a production increase of 2.3 percent. In absolute terms, the Group’s fuel use decreased 114,152 tons compared to 2012 and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions fell by more than 359,587 tons, a benefit for the environment. This is roughly equivalent to the CO2 volume emitted annually by oil-fired heating systems in about 50,000 homes.

The Lufthansa Group is working continuously and systematically to improve the environmental impact of its international services. A department set up in 2013 specifically to improve fuel efficiency is currently examining almost 1,000 individual steps for realising further potential savings. They include programs to achieve lasting weight reductions on board, testing and implementing new flight methods and developing intelligent software tools.

The most powerful lever for increasing efficiency is investing in technological progress, i.e. in the latest and most efficient aircraft. With its current fleet renewal program, the biggest in the history of the Lufthansa Group, the company is making good progress in this direction. As of December 31, 2013, the Group had a total of 261 aircraft on its order list for delivery by 2025 – this represents capital expenditure of EUR 32 billion at list prices. It will also make life much easier for those living near major air traffic hubs. For example, the 100 aircraft from the A320neo family ordered by the Lufthansa Group are fitted with highly efficient, quieter engines and reduce the noise footprint of take-off and landing by around 50 per cent.

In other news, the Lufthansa Group is transferring additional routes from Dusseldorf to Germanwings (2nd) (Cologne/Bonn) in the fall. Route transfers according to Airline Route from DUS:

Dusseldorf – Paris (CDG) (effective September 18)

Dusseldorf – Vienna (October 8)

Dusseldorf – London (Heathrow) (October 26)

Dusseldorf – Malaga (October 26)

Dusseldorf – Moscow (Vnukovo) (October 26)

Dusseldorf – Naples (October 26)

Dusseldorf – Nice (October 26)

Copyright Photo: Andi Hiltl/AirlinersGallery.com. Additional aircraft are being transferred to lower-cost Germanwings. Formerly operated by mainline Lufthansa, Germanwing’s Airbus A320-211 D-AIQK (msn 218) lands at Zurich.

Germanwings:

Lufthansa:

Germanwings adds two more routes to London Heathrow

Germanwings (2nd) (Cologne/Bonn) yesterday (January 20) added two former Lufthansa routes to London (Heathrow) from both Berlin (Tegel) and Hamburg.

Germanwings:

Germanwings drops three routes from Berlin in January

Germanwings (2nd) (Cologne/Bonn) will drop all service from Berlin (Tegel) to Bucharest, Geneva and Stockholm (Arlanda) in the first week of January per Airline Route.

Copyright Photo: Paul Bannwarth/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A319-132 D-AGWU (msn 5457) departs from Basel/Mulhouse/Freiburg.

Germanwings:

Germanwings adds new routes from Berlin Tegel and Hamburg

Germanwings (2nd) (Cologne/Bonn) on October 27 will add more routes and schedules for Berlin (Tegel), Hamburg, Cologne/Bonn, Hannover, Stuttgart and Nuremberg as the Lufthansa subsidiary expands as planned.

Here is a list of the Germanwings new winter 2013/2014 routes:

Copyright Photo: Paul Bannwarth/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A319-132 D-AGWU (msn 5457) climbs away from the runway at EuroAirport, serving the Basel/Mulhouse/Freiburg in three countries.

Germanwings:

The new Germanwings is launched today

Germanwings (2nd) (Cologne/Bonn) as a subsidiary of Lufthansa, relaunched operations today (July 1) as a re-invented airline, taking over many former Lufthansa routes and offering three levels of fares and services.

The airline issued this statement:

Today sees the launch of the new Germanwings offering a wider selection of flight services. As well as our popular BASIC and SMART fares, as of today you can book our new BEST fare. You can choose to book a flight by itself with no extra services or our premium offer with everything included. The choice is yours. One thing won’t change, though, and that’s our very low fares.

It doesn’t end there. Germanwings is expanding. Over the next few months we will be taking over a good deal of Lufthansa’s German and European routes. This means in the future you’ll have even more connections to select from, in particular from Berlin, Hamburg and Düsseldorf.

We will now be able to offer you even more destinations. All LH-flights from Stuttgart and Cologne have already been transferred, and over the coming year other flights from Hamburg and Berlin will follow. In 2014 more destinations from Düsseldorf will expand our network even further.

We hope to see you on board and experience Germanwings as it is reborn.

Copyright Photo: Ton Jochems/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A319-132 D-AGWN (msn 3841) awaits its takeoff clearance for the runway at Palma de Mallorca.

Germanwings:

Germanwings completes its makeover in time for the July 1 relaunch

Germanwings (2nd) (Cologne/Bonn), the lower-cost subsidiary of Lufthansa (Frankfurt), is preparing for its July 1 relaunch. Germanwings since January 1, 2013 has been taking over most of the former LH point-to-point European routes that are not flying to either the Frankfurt and Munich hubs.

As part of the relaunch, the airline has been rapidly rebranding. The last aircraft to be repainted, Airbus A319-132 D-AGWI (msn 3358), operated the last flight in the old livery on June 20 between London (Heathrow) and Cologne/Bonn. The aircraft has been ferried to Ostrava for repainting and should be back in service for the July 1 relaunch. All of the special liveries have been retired.

The airline is also going to three individualized levels of services like most budget airlines, i.e. you get what you pay for.

Here is the CEO letter to its customers about the relaunch:

Germanwings, your German budget airlines, is about to revolutionize the low-cost market in Europe by offering the highest-quality airline experience in this sector in Europe. On July 1, 2013 “new Germanwings” will introduce a completely new brand and product concept allowing passengers to fly “à la carte”.

Our passengers will be able to put together individualized packages ranging from budget, no-frills travel to a more refined passener experience with more advantages and extra services, all of which will be tailored to your specific needs. In the broader context of economy class, “new Germanwings” will have three fare brackets with differing services provided in each.

The “BEST” fare is our top category with business travellers in mind principally, but also non-business passengers. The “SMART” fare includes some extra services and the possibility to purchase others. The “BASIC” fare is the purely low-cost category.

As of January 1, 2013, the “new Germanwings” now includes Lufthansa’s decentralized European routes not operating out of our Frankfurt or Munich hubs. Our aim is a smart, dynamic and innovative service.

From July 1, 2013 the new airline will officially be launched. From that point onwards Lufthansa aircraft to be incorporated into “new Germanwings” will gradually be re-equipped and transferred.

Our logo is also going to change to reflect this new brand and product concept. The key element will be a stylized burgundy and yellow ‘W’, transforming the wings in Germanwings into a succinct icon (see photo above). All of the airline’s aircraft will be painted in the new livery when the brand is officially launched on July 1, 2013.

“New Germanwings” aims at being even more attractive to our customers. We will be deveoping our mobile booking and information systems, thereby ensuring direct and spontaneous interaction with passengers. All our fares will be displayed fairly with no hidden costs and our new cheaper 0180 number has already replaced the old 0900 number. Germanwings will continue to offer our enticing 33 € starting fare for one-way tickets.

Yours,

Thomas Winkelmann
(CEO Germanwings)

Germanwings (see all of the previous logojets):

Videos:

Routes from Cologne/Bonn:

The new Germanwings is moving ahead for its relaunch on July 1

Germanwings (2nd) (Cologne) is quickly moving ahead with its new image and plans to take over many routes currently operated by its parent Lufthansa. The low-fare subsidiary issued this statement:

The Lufthansa subsidiary is also ahead of schedule with the re-equipping of its fleet: Already 21 of the aircraft in the Germanwings fleet have been painted in the new livery. The new and modern brand identity is also reflected in the newly styled cabin, which is setting new standards and not only in the low cost carrier segment with generous legroom of 32 inches (81.3 cm) in the front rows. All 36 aircraft in the fleet will be refurbished inside and out by the time the “new Germanwings” takes to the air on July 1.

In order to provide passengers with advance information and planning security for their air travel needs, all the dates for the takeover of Lufthansa routes by Germanwings have already been penned firmly into the timeplan. This will allow the timetable for the “new Germanwings” to be worked out earlier than was originally envisaged. Following last year’s transfer from Lufthansa to Germanwings of connections out of Stuttgart, the first routes to and from Hamburg were handed over at the end of March. From the Hanseatic City, Germanwings is now serving the previous Lufthansa destinations of Vienna, Palma de Mallorca, Stuttgart and Nuremberg. It will be taking over connections to Cologne on June 29, 2013 and all other Lufthansa destinations by the end of January 2014, except for flights to Lufthansa’s Frankfurt and Munich hubs.

The transfer to Germanwings of Lufthansa routes out of Berlin commences on October 27, 2013: By 30 March 2014, all destinations ex Berlin (apart from FRA and MUC) will be handed over to the Lufthansa subsidiary. Subsequently, from the end of March 2014 to year-end, the “new Germanwings” will be successively operating flights in the Dusseldorf timetable, except for those on long-haul routes which will still be flown by Lufthansa.

Moves to intensify cooperation between Germanwings and airlines in the Lufthansa Group are also in full swing. A codeshare accord was concluded with Austrian Airlines last year, another is to follow with Swiss International Air Lines. The four daily flights operated by Germanwings, with the Swiss LX code alongside the 4U flight number in future, will greatly improve the quality of flight connections from Cologne through Zurich for passengers of the Lufthansa Group.

Copyright Photo: Karl Cornil. Formerly painted in the special Baden-Wurttemberg color scheme, Airbus A319-112 D-AKNM (msn 1089) now displays the new look at Brussels.

Germanwings:

Germanwings paints its first aircraft in the new brand

Germanwings (2nd) (Cologne/Bonn) as planned, has introduced its first Airbus A319 in its new brand as introduced on December 6 by parent Lufthansa.

For more details, please see our previous report: CLICK HERE

Copyright Photo: Rainer Bexten. Airbus A319-132 D-AGWT (msn 5043) at the CGN base is the first to receive the new treatment.

Germanwings:

Germanwings announces its new livery and brand

Germanwings (2nd) (Cologne/Bonn) this morning announced the details on its new brand. The subsidiary of Lufthansa issued the following statement:

Germanwings, your German budget airlines, is about to revolutionize the low-cost market in Europe by offering the highest-quality airline experience in this sector in Europe. On July 1, 2013 ‘new Germanwings’ will introduce a completely new brand and product concept allowing passengers to fly ‘à la carte’.

Our passengers will be able to put together individualized packages ranging from budget, no-frills travel to a more refined passener experience with more advantages and extra services, all of which will be tailored to your specific needs. In the broader context of economy class, ‘new Germanwings’ will have three fare brackets with differing services provided in each.

The ‘Best’ bracket is our top category with business travellers in mind principally, but also non-business passengers. The ‘Smart’ bracket includes some extra services and the possibility to purchase others. The ‘Basic’ bracket is the purely low-cost category.

As of January 1, 2013 ‘new Germanwings’ will included Lufthansa’s decentralized European routes not operating out of our Frankfurt or Munich hubs. Our aim is a smart, dynamic and innovative service. From July 1, 2013 the new airline will officially be launched. From that point onwards Lufthansa aircraft to be incorporated into ‘new Germanwings’ will gradually be re-equipped and transferred.

Our logo is also going to change to reflect this new brand and product concept. The key element will be a stylized burgundy and yellow ‘W’, transforming the wings in Germanwings into a succinct icon. All of the airline’s aircraft will gradually be painted in the new livery after the brand is launched on July 1, 2013.
‘New Germanwings’ aims at being even more attractive to our customers. We will be deveoping our mobile booking and information systems, thereby ensuring direct and spontaneous interaction with passengers. All our fares will be displayed fairly with no hidden costs and our new cheaper 0180 number will replace the old 0900 number. Germanwings will continue to offer our enticing €33 starting fare for one-way tickets.

Yours,

Thomas Winkelmann
(CEO Germanwings)

Germanwings is going to a three-level pricing structure to better compete against carriers like Ryanair and easyJet:

Germanwings (2nd) Pricing

Video:

Germanwings (2nd) (compare with the current livery):

Lufthansa to merge some European operations under the Germanwings low-cost AOC on January 1

Lufthansa (Frankfurt) will merge all European Lufthansa operations (outside of the Frankfurt and Munich hubs) under the Germanwings (2nd) (Cologne/Bonn) AOC certificate on January 1, 2013. All Eurowings operations will also support this operation. This move is designed to reduce costs for the struggling European operations. A new name for this expanded operation will be announced at a later date.

The company issued this statement:

Lufthansa direct European services, which include all German domestic and European services outside of the Lufthansa Frankfurt and Munich hubs, will be merged commercially and organizationally with Germanwings to form one company on the basis of Germanwings GmbH from January 1, 2013. The company’s headquarters will be Cologne.

The new company is to operate the Germanwings aircraft and the Direct Services fleet from 2013. In addition, the aircraft of Eurowings GmbH are set to fly on behalf of the new company, meaning that around 90 aircraft will cover direct services in Germany and Europe. In the first year, over 18 million passengers are to be transported.

Christoph Franz, CEO and Chairman of the Executive Board of Deutsche Lufthansa AG, said: “As part of the Lufthansa Airline Group the new company will get underway with the accordingly high quality standards.” The decision about the future brand name will only be made in the upcoming months.

“Combining our domestic German and European point-to-point services has enormous potential to improve efficiency. Our aim is to once again fly these services profitably under the umbrella of a single company. This means we are continuing to offer our guests the prospect of a dense, high-quality network even outside of our Frankfurt and Munich hubs. And our employees in these areas have the prospect of secure jobs within a company of the Lufthansa Group”, Christoph Franz emphasized.

Copyright Photo: Rolf Wallner. The Germanwings name is now likely to be retired again as its role is expanded by its parent. Airbus A319-132 D-AGWP (msn 4227) taxies at Zurich.