Lufthansa is finalising a solution for flights previously operated by its now-defunct CityLine subsidiary, whose closure has triggered short-notice suspensions and cancellations on a number of Munich routes. While the carrier has yet to confirm operations beyond May, services to Ljubljana are expected to resume in June, while the future of flights to Belgrade, Tivat and Rijeka remains uncertain. Lufthansa is also unlikely to reinstate the same number of frequencies originally planned under CityLine.
As a temporary measure, the airline is wet-leasing Embraer E195-E2 aircraft from Helvetic Airways and will deploy them on several Munich routes this May, including two rotations to Dubrovnik initially scheduled for CityLine. This is expected to be extended into the summer. The carrier is also utilising airBaltic aircraft on select domestic services that were previously due to be operated by CityLine.
All services to Ljubljana, Rijeka and Tivat have been cancelled in May, although flights remain scheduled from June onwards under CityLine inventory. In June, Lufthansa has 59 departures from Munich to Ljubljana scheduled, alongside five to Tivat and four to Rijeka. Furthermore, the airline has 79 flights from Munich to Belgrade filed with CityLine capacity in June, while just three services, on June 4, 7 and 14, are scheduled with mainline aircraft and are expected to remain unaffected. Four out of eight flights to Pula in June are also due to be operated by CityLine.
Over the past few days, Lufthansa has removed a number of routes from its network for the remainder of the summer season that had operated until the CityLine closure. The airline is expected to finalise its revised summer network by the end of the week. Lufthansa said, “The medium-term route planning for the coming months is being revised considering the capacity reduction. This will include optimisations to the short-haul offering for the entire summer season, thereby ensuring schedule stability for the flight plan period”.
