Germany’s Lufthansa is considering suspending its daily service from Frankfurt to Beijing amid intense competition from other airlines, a spokesman said on Friday.
A decision is to be taken by October, the spokesman said, adding that the airline is always evaluating and optimizing its list of destinations.
The daily flight from the southern city of Munich to the Chinese capital is not affected by the review, the spokesman stated.
Lufthansa is facing rising international competition, it said, calling for support from German and European authorities.
“European airlines are in an extremely unequal contest with China, as well as airlines from the Persian Gulf” and Turkey, it said.
The airline believes that its rivals outside the European Union benefit from lower costs, weaker employment regulations and state investment.
Another factor is other airlines’ ability to use Russian airspace – unlike European and US carriers – resulting in shorter routes and further cost advantages.
Lufthansa said EU airlines are struggling with political conditions that have weakened their competitiveness, including rising taxes and fees, high regulatory requirements, climate policies and inadequate infrastructure.
German and European leaders must respond to the imbalance with new industrial policies, it argued.
