Contents
Lufthansa boss Carsten Spohr is one of the most powerful German managers. His cash cow is Switzerland.
The most important subsidiary of the Lufthansa Group is called Swiss. It contributes around 30 percent to group sales. It also brings in so much money because the ticket prices are comparatively high.
While Lufthansa earns around 14 euros per passenger on its own brand tickets, the Swiss airline earns the equivalent of 41 euros. Its other subsidiaries Eurowings, Austrian and Brussels are even less lucrative than its own brand Lufthansa.
Swiss focuses on the most profitable markets in the world.
In the SRF interview, Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr said: “With its long-haul aircraft, Swiss focuses very much on the most profitable markets in the world.” In Frankfurt we fly a “significantly larger portfolio”. This is also necessary to secure the group’s global position.
If you were to fly the same routes with Lufthansa in Frankfurt, the return “may not be the same as with Swiss, but it would be significantly higher.”
Legend:
Keystone/Jens Kaläne
Carsten Spohr has been CEO of the Lufthansa Group for almost exactly ten years (since May 1, 2014). He had previously been with Lufthansa for more than 20 years. Originally a commercial pilot, he soon moved into management and rose to the position of top boss. Spohr has received awards for Manager and CEO of the Year.
Whether the high margins are cause for anger or economic logic is a matter of opinion. Mathias Binswanger is a lecturer in economics at the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland. He sees little reason for excitement: “Switzerland is an attractive destination for airlines. There is a wealthy population living there who flies relatively often and is also prepared to pay a relatively high amount for these flights.”
Lufthansa boss Carsten Spohr makes no secret of the fact that there is a lot to be gained in Switzerland, in both directions: “Switzerland is an interesting market, on the one hand from Switzerland with the high purchasing power of the Swiss. On the other hand, the Swiss market is visited by many wealthy guests from abroad.”
“In reality, it’s not the case that we all suffer from this situation,” says Mathias Binswanger. Not all Swiss flights are equally expensive. Cheap routes are also on offer. You can also switch to alternative providers. However, you often have to accept less favorable flight times or changes.
In any case, Carsten Spohr is aware of the importance of Swiss for his group: “The Lufthansa Group would not be what it is without Swiss.” But he adds, probably as a reference to the takeover after the Swissair grounding: “But Swiss would certainly not be what it is without the Lufthansa Group.”
Legend:
Andi Lüscher (left) in an interview with Carsten Spohr (right)
SRF
More on the topic tonight at 10:25 p.m. on SRF1 in “Eco Talk”. In a broadcast from the St. Gallen Symposium, Andi Lüscher talks to Carsten Spohr about ticket prices, Corona aftermath and CO₂ reduction.