The first European airline group Lufthansa has cut its net loss in 2022 by three and expects the result to “
improve
” again this year, even if the war in Ukraine is a source of “
great uncertainty
”.
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Over the past year, the company posted a negative result of 2.2 billion euros, against -6.7 billion in 2020, an improvement linked in particular to the 29% increase in the number of passengers, to 47 million, a she announced on Thursday.
Lufthansa expects a further "
strong increase in demand
" this year, with bookings almost reaching 2019 levels for this summer and Easter.
As a result, capacity – representing the number of seats open for reservation based on expected demand – should reach 70% of the pre-pandemic level in 2022, compared to an average of 40% last year.
This summer, this flagship indicator should even reach 85% of the 2019 level.
Improvement in sight for 2022
Despite a difficult first quarter "
marked by the Omicron variant
", financial performance should therefore "
improve
" in 2022. But the "
great uncertainty linked to the dramatic situation in Ukraine and the geopolitical and economic consequences of the conflict
", likewise that the coronavirus pandemic, do not “
allow a detailed financial forecast
”, specified Lufthansa in a press release.
“
The whole branch is faced in 2022 with an increase in external prices
“In particular oil, noted the group, which suspended its flights to Ukraine and Russia.
The restructuring program must continue: the company has already achieved 2.7 billion euros in savings, 75% of its objective by 2024, notably via more than 30,000 job cuts.
The loss could also be reduced thanks to the freight branch: Lufthansa Cargo records a record profit of 1.5 billion euros -- almost double that of 2020. The companies Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines and Swiss show 3, 5 billion euros in operating loss, and Eurowings is in the red at 230 million euros.
The group continues to work on a partial sale or listing of its Lufthansa Technik service unit, aiming to close the transaction in 2023.
