Andrzej Jeziorski/MUNICH
EUROWINGS, the German regional carrier, has shifted its focus onto developing international routes, because of intensifying domestic competition from Germany's rail and road networks.
According to Eurowings marketing and sales chief, Karl-Friedrich Muller, Germany's ICE high-speed trains and improved road links with eastern Germany have become quick, competitive, alternatives to regional flying, leading to the change in company strategy. From now on new routes "...will be mainly international", he says.
Eurowings has recently added five weekly frequencies to the Polish City of Krakow to its established routes to Warsaw and Wroclaw, and plans to introduce a new Polish service to Poznan from its Dresden base.
Eastern Europe is "a very attractive" market for development, but, says Muller, the airline is not focusing exclusively on this area, having also recently extended its services to Paris and switched from ATR turboprops to the British Aerospace 146 regional jet (RJ). Eurowings also plans to take over some of KLM's loss-making Cityhopper routes, starting with three daily frequencies from Nuremberg to Amsterdam.
The airline expects to take delivery of its second leased BAe 146 from British Aerospace's Asset Management Organisation (AMO) leasing arm at the beginning of April. Eurowings eventually intends to purchase its own regional jets but has still not decided whether to buy Avro RJs, or Fokker 70s.
The company is also preparing to lease an Airbus A310, from the Polaris leasing company, which it will operate with its own crews on behalf of Hapag-Lloyd, on charter routes to Mediterranean destinations.
Source: Flight International
