At this year’s Lufthansa annual general meeting in Cologne, Lufthansa chairman and CEO Wolfgang Mayrhuber unveiled record profit and revenue figures to the shareholders for the second year running. “Lufthansa has closed the 2007 business year with the best result in the history of our company,” stated Mr Mayrhuber, adding that the company’s “position is strong and the starting basis is solid. The Lufthanseats have again proven that they are the best. The result is a product of all the business segments, as well as the merger with SWISS. The success of the group equally benefits customers, employees and shareholders.” A record dividend of EUR1.25 per share will be proposed to the shareholders, which is equivalent to a 55-cent increase in comparison with the previous year.
The Lufthansa Group had an excellent start into 2008 with an outstanding first-quarter result. However, Mayrhuber warned of the consequences of the intensifying competition in the aviation industry, as well as the unforeseeable implications of the uncertainty on the financial markets and the price increases in the raw materials sector. “Lufthansa is prepared and will not shy away from any headwinds. However, we must work hard and consistently to continually improve our performance in this competition. It is especially those responsible for the framework conditions of the aviation industry in Europe that must now make their contribution.”
The Lufthansa chairman and CEO urged for a rapid improvement of the infrastructure saying, “Structures have to be ensured on the ground and in the air that are as efficient and competitive as the German logistics and mobility companies. This is essential for Germany as the world champion in exports and second in the world in imports, as well as for the survival as European logistics hub. The answer lies in the hands of the politicians.” Infrastructure improvements at major airports with capacity bottlenecks are a condition for Lufthansa to be able to create many thousands of jobs. During the years 2005 to 2008 alone, the Lufthansa Group employed 10,000 new staff in Germany.