Lufthansa seeks to fly to Manila to expand its network in Southeast Asia

Lufthansa plans to expand in Southeast Asia, adding a direct flight to Manila to boost connectivity and sustainability. At an event organized by the German-Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the airline revealed its intentions to reinstate flights to Manila in a strategic move to expand its network in Southeast Asia.

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The airline wants to operate an ideal aircraft to offer a non-stop connection from Europe and boost connectivity between the two regions. Anlee Do, Lufthansa Group CEO for Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, and the Mekong region said that the lack of suitable aircraft makes it difficult to launch flights to Manila.

Lufthansa used to operate to Manila via Guangzhou on Airbus A340-600 aircraft: the service was suspended due to a commercial restructuring. The Philippine capital is a key market and is part of the airline’s plans to expand in Southeast Asia.

The reintroduction of flights to Manila has several challenges such as the selection of an aircraft that meets Lufthansa’s sustainability targets. These services also plan to improve connectivity between Europe and Southeast Asia.

Suspended Lufthansa routes in Southeast Asia

• Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam via Bangkok: suspended on March 25, 2014, operated on a Boeing 747-400.
• Jakarta, Indonesia via Kuala Lumpur: suspended on October 24, 2015, operated on an Airbus A340-300.
• Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: suspended on February 28, 2016, operated on an Airbus A340-300.

See also: Lufthansa schedules new routes to the Nordic region and Moldova

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