After Linz and Innsbruck, Lufthansa also has bad news for Friedrichshafen, because Lake Constance Airport will no longer serve the hub connection to Frankfurt am Main in the 2024 summer flight schedule.

The official reason given by the Kranich Group is that due to the engine problems in the A320neo fleet, the Bombardier CRJ-900 aircraft, which are usually used on the Friedrichshafen route, are needed elsewhere. The company's sister company, Air Dolomiti, also argued similarly when announcing the adjustments to the hub feeders Linz and Innsbruck.

According to Friedrichshafen Airport, negotiations are underway with the regional airline Skyalps about stationing at least one de Havilland Dash 8-400. The airport hopes that Lufthansa will at least agree to an interline agreement so that through tickets can be booked. Apparently the conclusion of the above-mentioned contract is the condition for Skyalps to open a base in Friedrichshafen. The Frankfurt route would then be taken over.

For those transferring, a pure point-to-point connection without interlining would be quite useless, as any luggage would then have to be checked in again. Such an agreement allows the combination of tickets. It is currently unknown whether a special pro rate contract is also being discussed. Without this, the standard fares from Friedrichshafen and then from Frankfurt would simply be “staggered together”. This could mean that tickets would be significantly more expensive than before. According to reports, there is currently no longer any talk of code sharing or even wet lease. Skyalps boss Josef Gostner had announced such a collaboration with Austrian Airlines and Lufthansa, but this was not the case not yet confirmed by the two airlines.

“Lufthansa's short-term decision is not good news for the Lake Constance region, which not only affects business travel but also many private travelers for whom train or car are not alternatives. Nevertheless, we are optimistic that we will be able to guarantee the connection to the Frankfurt transfer hub again in the short term with a new partner, the airline SkyAlps. The collaboration with SkyAlps also opens up further prospects for serving new destinations, e.g. Düsseldorf, Hamburg or Berlin,” says Friedrichshafen managing director Claus-Dieter Wehr.

According to reports, Skyalps is also planning a non-stop connection from Friedrichshafen to Bolzano. It is completely open how often this should be used. This could also be used to wipe off aircraft and so that you don't fly completely empty, Skyalps would also offer tickets. If Bozen-Frankfurt is included, the exchange mentioned could also be carried out in Frankfurt.

It is currently still completely unclear whether Skyalps will actually fly to Frankfurt am Main from Bolzano, Linz, Friedrichshafen and Innsbruck, among others. A lot will also depend on whether Lufthansa agrees to work with the South Tyroleans or not. So far, the Kranich Group has remained silent on this topic – at least officially.