Lufthansa Group: Berlin long haul operations not possible for a variety of reasons

Lufthansa Group stated (02-Jul-2018) while it has "repeatedly tried to offer long haul flights from Berlin... this is currently not profitable". Lufthansa stated there are "not enough business travellers" and "no hub function" in Berlin, with the Lufthansa Group's German hubs instead situated at Frankfurt and Munich. "Part of the reason why Berlin is not one of the major hubs is historical... Lufthansa was not allowed to fly to the divided city until Germany was reunited in 1990", the group noted. Lufthansa Group added: "Profitability is essential... The Lufthansa Group does not operate routes for reasons of prestige... Cross subsidisation of unprofitable long haul connections is not an option". The group said it is also "struggling with significant capacity bottlenecks" at Berlin Tegel Airport and it is "vital to carry out the approved conversion work quickly" to complete Berlin Brandenburg Airport by Oct-2020. [more - original PR - English/German]