Lufthansa's Eurowings says Frankfurt not on its agenda

[BERLIN] Lufthansa's Eurowings budget carrier said starting flights from Frankfurt, Germany's biggest airport and the Lufthansa brand's main hub, was not currently on its agenda.

Frankfurt airport operator Fraport signed a deal with Irish low cost carrier Ryanair for incentives, and Eurowings has been weighing its options.

"It's not a topic for us at the moment," Eurowings managing director Oliver Wagner told journalist.

"We are focussed on other airports."

It is set to be a busy summer of travel for European carriers, with major airlines reporting good booking demand.

Mr Wagner said bookings at Eurowings, which flies both short and long-haul routes, had been above last year and the price environment was also stable.

Eurowings last week announced it would be starting long-haul flights from Munich and basing three A330 wide body jets there next summer. Eurowings currently bases long-haul jets in Cologne only.

"There's the next step with Munich and then we'll see whether there's more growth potential. We believe in the segment," he said when asked about whether Eurowings could have more long-haul planes beyond the planned seven A330s.

REUTERS