Lufthansa to Replace Lufthansa Cityline with City Airlines
Carsten Spohr, the CEO of Lufthansa Group, has announced the upcoming changes for Lufthansa Cityline. The airline will be launching a new subsidiary called City Airlines on June 26, starting in Munich and expanding to Frankfurt. City Airlines will operate feeder flights to connect with the main German hubs, initially using Airbus A319 aircraft, followed by A320 Neo and eventually A220-300 in 2026.
The big question was the fate of Lufthansa Cityline, which has been responsible for feeder services using A319, A320 Neo, and Bombardier CRJ 900 aircraft. It was clear that both airlines with „City“ in their names would initially operate in parallel. However, CEO Carsten Spohr confirmed at a recent Iata meeting in Dubai that Lufthansa City Airlines will mainly replace Lufthansa Cityline.
Spohr explained that the larger aircraft with more than 95 seats will no longer be able to operate due to restrictions in pilot union agreements, and the smaller CRJs have reached the end of their lifespan. This necessitates the need for a replacement, which will be Lufthansa City Airlines.
The decision to replace Lufthansa Cityline comes after the termination of the Perspektivvereinbarung agreement with the Vereinigung Cockpit union, which allowed the operation of aircraft with more than 95 seats. With this agreement terminated, only CRJ 900 aircraft will remain in the fleet.
Lufthansa Cityline, in operation since 1992, has a history dating back to 1958 as the Ostfriesische Lufttaxi. The airline has been integral in serving Lufthansa’s main hubs for decades, but changes in regulations and aircraft capabilities have led to the decision to transition to Lufthansa City Airlines.
The implications of this shift will impact both employees and passengers, as negotiations with unions are ongoing to address the changes in fleet and operations. The future of Lufthansa’s feeder services will be shaped by the transition to City Airlines and the retirement of Lufthansa Cityline.