Lackluster Lufthansa: Airline Weekly Lounge Episode 69


When is a $2 billion annual profit disappointing? Answer: When you’re a giant airline group like Lufthansa, and $2 billion amounts to a mere 5% operating margin—and that lackluster result comes despite fuel costs dropping 16% year over year. But there are a few signs of hope.

Meanwhile, American Airlines is purchasing a $200-million stake in China Southern. Frontier Airlines and Silver Airways are ending their short-lived Cuba service. And LATAM, still recovering from Brazil’s economic and currency collapse, is fighting two other battles—a cargo malaise and increased competition. Nonetheless, South America’s largest airline did enjoy improved annual profits year over year.

Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTubeRSS

Up Next

The Airline Weekly Lounge Podcast

British Airways Is a Profit Machine

When the North Atlantic market is good, British Airways performs strongly. BA's spectacular numbers suggest something is going very right.
The Airline Weekly Lounge Podcast

Is India the World's Hottest Airline Market?

Gordon Smith and Jay Shabat set the scene for the upcoming Skift India Forum and preview the big topics ahead of interviews with the CEOs of Air India and IndiGo.
The Airline Weekly Lounge Podcast

Is Southwest Airlines Losing its Magic?

Southwest just had its first round of compulsory layoffs in its history. What does that mean for the low-cost pioneer and the industry as a whole?
The Airline Weekly Lounge Podcast

Breaking Down Japan Airlines and British Airways

After a sensational run of impressive profits in the 2010s, what can Japan Airlines do to restore its weakened commercial cut-through?
The Airline Weekly Lounge Podcast

What a Frontier-Spirit Merger Means for Air Travel

There are plenty of ifs, buts, and maybes, however, if a Frontier-Spirit merger does occur, it'll shake up the U.S. airline industry in a huge way.