Lufthansa deploys executives to fix mess at its main German hubs

Deutsche Lufthansa AG has put two senior executives in charge of improving performance at its main Frankfurt and Munich hubs after operations during peak travel seasons were plagued by delays and disruptions that resulted in angry passengers. Jens Ritter, who is the CEO of Lufthansa’s namesake airline, will be responsible for Munich, while COO Klaus Froese will oversee operations in Frankfurt, Lufthansa said in a statement Thursday. Lufthansa’s flights from the two hubs regularly suffer delays, which contributed to the airline losing its five-star Skytrax rating in 2022. “The goal is to ensure stable, reliable and punctual flight operations in cooperation between the Lufthansa teams and their respective local partners - even during peak periods in the summer,” Lufthansa said in a statement. Frankfurt and Munich are Lufthansa’s main hubs for its lucrative transatlantic routes. This summer, about half of passengers passing through Munich experienced delays, according to an analysis by AirHelp, which facilitates compensation for flight delays. Operations at Frankfurt have also been affected by strikes and sporadic climate protests, as well as staff shortages at airport operator Fraport AG. Lufthansa has launched a turnaround plan for its namesake airline, a division that has been losing money despite a broader gain in ticket prices. The airline has run up against high personnel costs, delays in the delivery of new jets, and operational processes that managers say have become too complicated. “Planning is cumbersome and the crews are not happy with the results either,” Ritter said in a LinkedIn post last month. “We will renegotiate the rules and simplify them. We do not need more rules or smarter processes. We need less of them.”<br/>