As things currently stand, there will be no non-stop flights between Linz and Frankfurt am Main in the 2024 summer flight schedule. This means that the airport will lose the connection to the Lufthansa hub provided by Air Dolomiti. There is a straw, however, because Skyalps is ready to step into the breach.

Linz Airport explains that this is in connection with the recall campaign by the engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney due to material defects. Lufthansa has to temporarily take around 20 aircraft from the A320neo series out of service. As a result, Air Dolomiti's aircraft is needed on other routes. And that has a negative impact on Linz-Frankfurt, because the route will be temporarily discontinued.

Lufthansa informed Linz Airport at the end of 2023 that it would suspend the Linz-Frankfurt flight connection at the start of the 2024 summer flight schedule due to a lack of capacity.

“We tried to avert the suspension using all means at our disposal, but unfortunately we have to acknowledge that this was not possible. However, we know that Lufthansa is in intensive discussions with various airlines in order to reconnect the Frankfurt feeder route as quickly as possible. We are in constant contact with Lufthansa to support all measures on our part,” said airport managing director Norbert Draskotivs.

Skyalps offers itself as a partner for Austrian Airlines and Lufthansa

However, there is also a ray of hope: Skyalps, which is already active from Linz, is said to be in talks with Austrian Airlines about the South Tyrolean carrier serving the Frankfurt route in the future. They also want to establish a connection to the Vienna hub and fly to Bolzano on their own account. In Germany, Skyalps intends to fly for Lufthansa between Frankfurt and Friedrichshafen.

But there is a catch: Skyalps boss Josef Gostner has already announced the plans in an interview in South Tyrol Neither Austrian Airlines nor Lufthansa confirm any collaboration “at this time”.. It is therefore still completely open whether Skyalps will expand in Linz and, if so, cooperate with Lufthansa and Austrian Airlines.

In this matter, it should also be noted that when selecting its cooperation partners, the Lufthansa Group insists that they at least have the IOSA safety audit. This is exactly what Skyalps doesn't have yet. According to reports, the audit is currently underway, so it can be expected that the regional airline will be able to meet this hurdle in the foreseeable future.