FRANKFURT (Reuters) – Germany’s Lufthansa Group said on Friday it was more closely integrating its European subsidiaries, such as Austrian Airlines and Swiss, to improve efficiency and profitability.
The units, which include Brussels Airlines, will cede control over network management for short and medium-haul flights, as well as information technology management, to the parent group from January, the carrier said.
The group’s operating airlines, which include Lufthansa in Germany, will continue to manage the customer experience, flight operations and services.
“This will bring the airlines within the group closer together and enable them to operate in an even more integrated manner in the future,” the company said.
The airline brands’ long-haul network and frequent flyer loyalty schemes had previously been brought under the management of the group’s headquarters.
In a separate statement on Friday, German pilots’ union VC said a ballot among members for a possible strike it previously announced would be held until September 30, in a dispute over Lufthansa’s pension scheme.
(Reporting by Ludwig Burger, editing by Thomas Seythal)
