Feasibility Analysis of a Low Cost Strategy for Long Distance Flights

A View from a Full Service Carrier in the Airline Industry

Bachelor Thesis from the year 2015 in the subject Business economics - Investment and Finance, grade: 2,0, University of applied sciences, Düsseldorf, language: English, abstract: This thesis focuses on the economic feasibility of a low cost strategy for long distance flights, based on the example of Eurowings in the product portfolio of the full service carrier Lufthansa. On the ITB 2015, Europe's largest tourist trade fair, an executive board member of Lufthansa, Karl Garnand, announced the first routes for the coming low cost long distance flight product of the company. Lufthansa is going to start this project with its brand Eurowings. The first flights to three destinations will be operated as from November 2015, tickets are already bookable. The low cost carrier business prospers for a long time. Its market share in Germany, measured by the number of passengers, grew from 4,8% in 2002 to 25% in 2014. However, this success refers exclusively to short and middle distance flights. Eurowings is not the first try of an airline to establish a low cost product for long haul flights, but there is no example with economic success.