Lufthansa aims to tap premium demand from Korean travelers

Chief Executive Officer Carsten Spohr

South Korea, with its many premium customers, is an important market for Lufthansa Group, according to the group’s Chief Executive Officer Carsten Spohr.

“Our flights from Korea have increased by 31 percent and seat capacity by 20 percent in 2024 compared to the previous year,” the head of the German flagship carrier said during a press conference in Seoul last week. “We are aiming to continue this growth momentum in Korea.”

Spohr, who has led Lufthansa Group since 2014, visited Korea on June 5th, 2024, to attend Lufthansa Group‘s Asia regional management meeting.

“We prioritized visiting Korea over Japan and China after the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said.

Lufthansa Group’s subsidiaries include Deutsche Lufthansa AG, Austrian Airlines AG, Swiss International Air Lines AG, Eurowings GmbH, and Brussels Airlines NV. Its Swiss International Air Lines resumed its Incheon-Zurich route for the first time in 27 years in May 2024.

“We see tremendous potential in the Korean market and are excited to offer Swiss International’s premium experience to Korean customers,” he said. “Our flights to Zurich are packed with Korean travelers, which indicates high consumer demand.”

Spohr also said that the group is increasing its investment in the Korean market. “ Lufthansa will use Boeing 747-82s on our Frankfurt route starting this summer,” he said. “Introducing a new destination or operating a thrice-weekly route requires an aircraft investment of up to 200 million euros (about $215.56 million), which underscores our commitment to the Korean market.”

He also highlighted Lufthansa‘s long-standing presence in Korea, noting, “We operated one flight per week to Korea in 1984, but currently operate 17 weekly flights. The rapidly growing Korean market is crucial to us.”

Referring to the merger between Korean Air Lines Co. and Asiana Airlines Inc., Spohr said that “while the integration of Korea’s top two airlines presents significant competition, we plan to focus on premium services.”

He also noted that Korean individual travelers are willing to spend more on premium services. “There were many Korean group travelers a few years ago, but there are more individual travelers now and there is also high demand for first-class seats on flights to Frankfurt and Zurich,” he added.

As Korea increases in popularity as a travel destination among European tourists, more foreign airlines are seeing increased usage of their flights to the country, according to Spohr.

“The demand for travel to Seoul has increased as more people, inspired by K-dramas on Netflix, want to experience Korea firsthand,” he said. “The number of European travelers coming to Korea has increased significantly compared to two years ago.”