Etihad-Lufthansa partnership: Lufthansa – the good guys of globalisation, starting along the road
Pragmatism is forcing the Lufthansa Group to compromise its legacy outlook and adapt its rhetoric as it cautiously welcomes into its nucleus the Etihad Aviation Group. Lufthansa and Etihad's 01-Feb-2017 USD200 million catering and engineering deal may seem underwhelming, but it brings Etihad into other areas of Lufthansa Group's business - and management. After being so flagrantly opposed to Gulf airlines, Lufthansa Group CEO Carsten Spohr recognises he needs to change internal mindsets while not advancing faster than ultraconservative unions will allow. Mr Spohr also says there is potential for a JV with Etihad.
As with recent Etihad cooperation - addressing ailing airberlin, and a new simple codeshare - the benefits of the latest deals are tilted towards Lufthansa. Lufthansa has yet to bring Etihad into its core to help address its fundamental cost and network problem - as it surely must do. Such a deal would leverage Etihad's fundamental business of a hub in Abu Dhabi.
Become a CAPA Member to access Analysis Reports
Our Analysis Reports are only available to CAPA Members. CAPA Membership provides exclusive access to in-depth insights on the latest developments in the aviation and travel industry, developed by our team of dedicated analysts located in Europe, North America, Asia and Australia.
Each report offers a fresh perspective on the latest industry trends and is available online or via the CAPA mobile app, with customisable alerts to help you stay informed and identify new business opportunities.
CAPA Membership also provides access to our full suite of tools, including a tailored selection of more than 1,000 News Briefs every week and comprehensive data and analysis on thousands of companies around the world.