On 2 November, a Lufthansa subsidiary, the low-cost Eurowings, will launch their first long-haul low-cost flights; a total of 36 per week, to six destinations such as Dubai (United Arab Emirates), Bangkok (Thailand) or Punta Cana (Dominican Republic), all from Cologne Bonn Airport.
For the German national company, who held a press conference on 22 September in Paris, the aim is for Eurowings to become the third low-cost airline in Europe, behind Ryanair and easyJet, by 2018.
Steffen Weinstok Steffen, CEO of Lufthansa for France & Benelux: "Today we are convinced that in the future there will be a long haul model (low-cost), and our goal is to match customer demand, which is why we are offering Cologne-Dubai at € 99 each way. It’s a loss-leader price, after to which you can add paid services such as preferred seating or an extra meal."
For their long-haul flights, initially, Eurowings will use two A330’s, and then add four more to complete their fleet. To reduce costs and remain competitive, the German low-cost airline will employ crews from SunExpress, a joint venture between Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines. Eventually, Eurowings should replace Germanwings, Lufthansa’s other subsidiary.
