Lufthansa to Cease Manila-Europe Flights: Reports

Lufthansa to cease Manila-Europe flights: reports

MANILA, Jan. 29 (Xinhua) — German carrier Lufthansa Airlines will no longer fly from Manila to Europe starting March 30 due to tough competition posed by Middle Eastern airlines, reports said on Tuesday.

The reservation office of Lufthansa in Manila confirmed that byApril, the airline will be out of Manila and that all its Europeanflights will be made via Hong Kong, Philippine TV network ABS-CBN reported.

Filipino travelers who want to take Lufthansa flights to Europecan go to Hong Kong via Cathay Pacific, Lufthansa said.

Lufthansa was the latest among European carriers to pull out ofthe country following British Airways, Swiss International, Alitalia and Air France.

Lufthansa has been operating in the Philippines for more than two decades, and accounts for nearly 30 percent of passenger traffic to and from Europe.

This leaves KLM Royal Dutch Airlines as the only European carrier flying non-stop from Manila to Europe via Amsterdam.

Meanwhile, flag carrier Philippines Airlines is hesitant to flyto Europe, saying that the service is not profitable at the momentbecause of small passenger traffic.

Philippines Airlines president Jaime Bautista said the airline is more interested in adding flights to the United States than in opening flights to Europe.

This, despite the recent downgrade in the country’s aviation rating from Category 1 to Category 2, which requires carriers to maintain a status quo of current services to the States.

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