Interesting comments regarding LI in Aviation Week Magazine
Just read from an Aviation Week article (week of August 16, 2010) about Lufthansa Italia and Alitalia (financial results not so good in the market for either company). The interesting paragraphs regarding Lufthansa Italia are as follows:
"According to Birlenbach, Lufthansa Italia is looking at adding regional jets that it could use to complement the network on thinner routes for which its A319s are too big. She also does not rule out introducing long-haul services, but that will happen once a bigger European network is established. Today, 20% of Lufthansa Italia's passengers connect through Malpensa."
Another intersting line from the article:
"Lufthansa Italia is also burdened by legacy costs: it is paying for group overhead it does not need and its aircraft are flown by Lufthansa mainline pilots..... Birlenbach says the airline is starting to recruit pilots on the international market who will be paid to local standards well below the Lufthansa pay levels. It is also building up its in-house administration to make it less dependent on corporate support."
Heike Birlenbach is the Managing Director of Lufthansa Italia. Again, I quoted these lines directly from the article. Discuss....