Ryanair’s Frankfurt raid prompts brusque retort from Lufthansa

Ryanair’s plans for its first-ever flights from Frankfurt sparked a bitter response from Lufthansa, which vowed to fight back against the surprise incursion at Germany’s biggest hub. While Ryanair will begin Frankfurt services with just two jets and four routes, Europe’s top discount airline sees potential for a bigger operation there, David O’Brien, its CCO, said at the airport Wednesday. “We doubled our presence in Germany within three years,” O’Brien said. “There is no reason why that pace shouldn’t continue. There is great potential for cheap flights from Frankfurt.” Lufthansa hit back by pledging to “react as appropriate” to the intrusion. CEO Carsten Spohr said his company’s own low-cost Eurowings arm could be drafted in to defend the hub “if there is a need,” while warning airport operator Fraport AG that he expects to pay the same fees secured by the discount giant. raport said it’s entitled to the saving if it adds new routes. Ryanair’s plans for Frankfurt may have blindsided Lufthansa after Michael O’Leary, the Irish company’s CEO, ruled out operations from the airport only last year. “Our boss famously said ‘We won’t fly to Frankfurt,”’ O’Brien stated at the press conference. “He was wrong.” The looming clash pits Europe’s biggest no-frills carrier against one of the world’s strongest travel brands. <br/>