Munich Airport and its largest customer, Lufthansa, have had a public dispute over whether or not the airport is lagging behind in terms of innovation and attracting new employees.

Der Kranich accuses the operator of Germany's second largest airport of allegedly not making sufficient efforts to eliminate staff shortages. The recruitment of new employees is progressing slowly. As a counterexample, Lufthansa manager Karl Brandes points to the airport in Frankfurt am Main, which is operated by Fraport.

From Lufthansa's perspective, Munich Airport also needs a lot of modernization. There would be a lack in the areas of digitalization, automation and the use of artificial intelligence in the handling of commercial aircraft. Brandes also told the DPA that this would mean that the Kranich Group in Munich would not be able to grow as quickly as it would like.

Munich Airport is surprised

Germany's second largest airport does not want to let the allegations go uncommented. In one press release, the accusation that the company is lagging behind in the areas of innovation and hiring new employees is particularly sharply rejected. It is also pointed out that we would work closely and in partnership with Lufthansa in both areas. In 2023 alone, around 1.000 new employees were hired directly at the airport and at the subsidiary Aeroground, which is responsible for handling. This is above the original plans, according to Munich Airport.

The airport also explains that it signed a declaration of intent with Lufthansa a year ago to transform Germany's second-largest airport into an intermodal transport hub. This also includes projects to modernize passenger and aircraft handling. These will be launched gradually. This is one of the reasons why you can't really understand the Kranich Group's criticism.

With regard to innovations, Munich Airport also points out that the first CT scanners were put into operation in 2016. We are currently in a transition phase. It is expected that by 2026 all control lines will be converted to the new scanners for passengers and their hand luggage. Biometric boarding pass controls have also been used for some time in Terminal 2, which is operated jointly with Lufthansa. A declaration of intent to purchase automated gangways was also signed with the Kranich Group last year.

Eternal competition between Frankfurt and Munich

The allegations that Lufthansa has made publicly could also have a completely different cause. Frankfurt and Munich airports are in direct competition for the crane's favor by adding new routes and stationing additional aircraft. In recent years, Lufthansa has repeatedly chosen Munich. At the moment there is a slight tendency towards expanding the main hub, which is located in Frankfurt am Main.

Behind the public exchange of blows there is likely to be something completely different: It is very likely that there are tough negotiations behind the scenes in both Munich and Frankfurt am Main about whether new aircraft that have been ordered will be stationed in Bavaria or Hesse. As is usual with airlines: certain advantages are demanded from the airports for investments, i.e. new machines and thus new routes. It doesn’t necessarily have to be about discounts. Sometimes airlines just want some things you're unhappy with to be fixed or at least improved.