Although Lufthansa Airlines boss Jens Ritter sees improvements in the airline’s punctuality, one is “not quite satisfied yet”. Therefore, a total of 50 measures are planned to further improve this value. Among other things, an innovation in boarding.
Jens Ritter wants to capture one thing. According to the managing director of Lufthansa Airlines, the flight is “significantly more reliable, more stable and more punctual” than last year. The Pentecost weekend also showed this, when the airline handled 220,000 passengers from Frankfurt and around 170,000 passengers from Munich.
Lufthansa has developed 50 measures for more punctuality
In Frankfurt in particular, adverse conditions such as the renovation of a slope and the north wind, which is rare for the region, posed a challenge. Nevertheless, the intensive time was mastered. “We’re not quite satisfied with our punctuality,” said Ritter at an event on Tuesday (July 4) in Frankfurt. “But we’re working on that.”
The airline has developed 50 measures, thanks to which the punctuality value, which is essential for airlines, should improve. An example that Ritter mentions is what is known as combined boarding.
The Lufthansa Managing Director explains what that means: “We have converted several gates here in Frankfurt so that our guests can board and disembark via two flights of stairs.” So if you sit further back, you don’t have to fight your way through the entire cabin from the front .
So-called combined boarding is intended to ensure more punctuality
This means fewer waiting times when boarding – and departures can be more punctual. The measure accelerates the process enormously, according to Ritter.
Another measure sounds almost banal, admits the manager. The airline has intensively analyzed the first flights of the day. If something isn’t right, there will be a whole domino effect of connection delays.
“Not only in Frankfurt and Munich, but also at the outstations” they looked at what can lead to delays and problems. Improvements have already been achieved through appropriate adjustments – such as planning more time buffers in some cases. “We are very satisfied with the result.”
The airline’s app, which has been further revised, should also help. For example, the waiting times at the security check would now be displayed, allowing travelers to plan better in order to be at the gate on time. According to Ritter, further app updates will follow in the coming months.
By Laura Frommberg