Eurowings, a subsidiary of the Lufthansa Group and Germany's largest leisure airline, can look back on a successful start to 2025. In the first quarter of the year, the airline operated with a remarkable punctuality rate of over 85 percent on a total of 27.000 flights. Flight regularity even exceeded 98 percent. Only a series of strikes in the public sector, which also affected German airports for several days, prevented an even higher rate of 99,5 percent, the company announced.
The achieved figures for operational flight operations underscore Eurowings' efforts to offer its passengers a reliable travel experience. High punctuality is crucial for travelers to catch connecting flights and adhere to their travel plans without major delays. Flight regularity, which indicates what proportion of scheduled flights were actually operated, also testifies to the airline's stable operational base. The cancellation of just under two percent of flights in the first quarter is an indicator of well-functioning organization and planning within the company.
In total, around 2025 million passengers chose to fly with Eurowings in the first quarter of 3,4. This reflects the continued strong demand for tourist air travel, in which Eurowings plays a significant role. To meet this demand, the airline expanded its offerings by twelve percent compared to the same period last year. A particular focus was on expanding direct connections to the Gulf region, which were gradually increased due to positive feedback. This strategic decision to enter new markets and expand the route network appears to be paying off and is contributing to the positive development of passenger numbers.
Burdens from winter business and rising costs
Despite encouraging developments in punctuality, customer satisfaction, and demand, the Point-to-Point business segment of the Lufthansa Group, which includes Eurowings and the stake in SunExpress, recorded a loss of EUR 2025 million (adjusted EBIT) in the first quarter of 201. This result is partly due to the traditionally weaker winter business in the aviation industry, when aircraft utilization tends to be lower. Furthermore, the continued rise in taxes and fees in Germany as an aviation hub is also weighing on the result. These cost increases, which are attributable, among other things, to higher air traffic control fees and airport charges, pose a challenge to the competitiveness of German airlines.
The company's positive development is also reflected in the increased number of employees. Eurowings now employs almost 5.400 people. This is a sign of the company's growth and the creation of jobs in the aviation industry. Investing in personnel is an important factor in ensuring high service quality and smooth flight operations.
Optimistic outlook for the travel year 2025
Despite the financial burdens in the first quarter, Eurowings CEO Jens Bischof is optimistic about the rest of the 2025 travel year. The high level of customer satisfaction and strong operational performance in the first months of the year form a solid foundation for the coming quarters, which are traditionally more travel-intensive. The statement that over 80 percent of customers would choose Eurowings again is a strong signal for the attractiveness of the brand and the quality of the services offered. It remains to be seen how demand will develop in the coming months and to what extent Eurowings can offset the challenges posed by rising costs to achieve a positive annual result. However, the focus on tourist air travel and the expansion of the route network to attractive holiday regions are likely to remain important growth drivers for the airline.
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