Lufthansa increases flights and seats for Korean routes

Lufthansa Group CEO Carsten Spohr discussing his views on Korea's aviation market in a press conference at The Shilla Seoul in Jung District, central Seoul. [YONHAP]

Lufthansa Group posted two-digit growth in the number of flights and seats in Korea-linked routes, thanks primarily to the rising influence of Korean pop culture across Europe.

The largest European airline will focus on expanding its presence in the domestic aviation market, Carsten Spohr, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Lufthansa Group said in press conference Wednesday.

This year, Lufthansa's Korean routes increased flights by 31 percent and number of seats by 23 percent compared to the previous year.

Lufthansa Group currently deploys an aircraft for flights between Seoul and Zurich three times a week through its subsidiary Swiss International Air Lines.

As deploying one aircraft costs around 200 million euros ($217.7 million), the CEO said that this level of investment demonstrates Lufthansa's commitment to the Korean market.

“Korea is no longer just an export country for companies like Samsung, LG and Hyundai, as now many Europeans want to visit Korea," General Manger Leandro Tonidandel at Lufthansa Group said. "With many inspired by Korean dramas and wanting to experience Korea firsthand, consequently, the demand for flights to Seoul has been on the rise.”

The company has been proactively investing in the Korean market due to the noticeable change in Korean clients’ preference on choosing the airline over the past two and a half years.

Lufthansa will continue to focus on its premium service tailored to the customers’ needs, as it has seen a growing number of individual Korean travelers and premium service users who all seem to believe in the high quality service, Tonidandel said.

The company’s competitive edge lies in its ability to quickly identify customer needs and strive to offer tailored services, Tonidandel added, and these efforts led to significant success over the past two and a half years in Korea.

It is also considering opening more flights to Busan, but has no immediate plans at this stage, according to the company’s spokesman Jeffrey James.

When asked about the merger of Asiana Airlines and Korean Air, Spohr said it would have very limited impact on the airline's growth in the Korean market, as it has seen significant interest from individual Korean travelers.

Currently, Lufthansa offers its crown jewel inter-mobile service to its airline passengers. With one ticket, passengers using its airlines can reach Busan, Dangdaegu, Gwangju, Jinju, Mokpo, Pohang, Ulsan and Yeosu via Korea’s high speed rail system Korea Train Express (KTX) after landing in Incheon Airport. This service offers customers a convenient travel experience, allowing travelers to easily transfer from international flights to rail connections.

Lufthansa’s subsidiary Swiss International Air Lines launched its direct flight service connecting Seoul and Zurich on May 9, marking its return to the Korean market after a hiatus of 26 years.

Swiss discontinued its last route linking Gimpo to Zurich in 1998 due to low passenger numbers.

Inaugural flights commenced on Wednesday, with Swiss deploying its A340 fleet with 215 seats for each service. Flights between Seoul and Zurich operate three times a week, departing Seoul on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays at 9:55 a.m. local time and arriving in Zurich at 4:50 p.m. local time.

BY CHOI HAE-JIN [choi.haejin@joongang.co.kr]