알파경제 - Lufthansa to Suspend Frankfurt-Beijing Flights Amid Rising Competition

Lufthansa Group (Photo: Lufthansa Group)

[Alpha Biz= Reporter Kim Sangjin] German airline Lufthansa plans to suspend its flights between Frankfurt and Beijing, according to a report by the German media outlet Spiegel on the 20th (local time).

The report attributes this decision to several factors, including the impact of the Ukraine war, which has resulted in Russia blocking European aircraft from using its airspace, leading to increased travel times and costs. Additionally, Chinese airlines have been aggressively competing on prices.

Some Chinese carriers are offering free hotel stays and city tour programs as part of their service on stopover routes to Europe. Consequently, the market share of Chinese airlines on Europe-China routes is increasing, with Air China already operating 17 weekly flights on the Frankfurt-Beijing route, more than double Lufthansa's seven flights per week.

British Airways also suspended its London-Beijing route last month.

알파경제 Kim SangJin (letyou@alphabiz.co.kr)