Lufthansa’s CityLine to begin Airbus A319 operations in 2019

Lufthansa Group is making another shift to its regional airline portfolio by transferring its Airbus A319s from Lufthansa mainline to Lufthansa CityLine, starting in 2019. The move became possible after Lufthansa CityLine and pilot union Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) agreed on new labour conditions for their approximately 650 pilots, which is securing a new aircraft type at the regional carrier. Lufthansa CityLine will start operating the first A319-100 from its Munich hub next spring; another five aircraft will follow by the end of 2020. “Lufthansa CityLine has been handling an important part of our feeder traffic at the hubs in Munich and Frankfurt for many years,” said Wilken Bormann, chairman of the supervisory board of Lufthansa CityLine and CEO of Lufthansa’s Munich hub. “Entering the A320 segment is a logical next step. With the new collective agreement, both negotiating partners have illustrated their will to jointly develop Lufthansa CityLine as a key component of the Lufthansa Group.” The parties have agreed on an extensive package, which includes a moderate salary increase for the next three years and a growth-related increase for 2021. <br/>