Will Lufthansa service get off the ground?
By Sam Spatter and Thomas Olson
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Friday, November 19, 2004
Lufthansa could decide within 10 to 14 days whether it will begin nonstop service from Pittsburgh to Frankfurt, Germany, a route much missed by area businesses since US Airways dropped it Nov. 7.
"Right now, the airline is doing its due diligence to determine the feasibility of this service," said Ronnie Bryant, president of the Pittsburgh Regional Alliance, who gave the estimate on when a decision may be made.
Bryant told members of the local chapter of the National Association of Industrial and Office Parks on Thursday that one item that could influence Lufthansa's decision is how many passengers for the flight would not only originate in Pittsburgh, but also how many arrive here from other airlines serving the region.
As an added inducement for Lufthansa -- or any other airline to offer direct service to Europe -- nearly 50 area companies affiliated with German firms or with major business in Europe recently pledged to spend up to $10 million annually to fly on any airline providing direct service to Europe.
In addition, Bryant said, $270,000 has been raised to date on a $500,000 fund to market the region to alternate carriers.
A similar business-community effort in Portland, Ore., less than two years ago succeeded in luring Lufthansa to launch nonstop service to Frankfurt in April 2003, said Tom Tripp, a Lufthansa spokesman in New York.
"That was a big deal for us because it took away some of the risk," said Tripp, noting the importance of filling "multimillion-dollar planes" with paying passengers. "We've got to take a close look at (Pittsburgh) before we're convinced it's a good business case."
Lufthansa representatives continue to talk with Pittsburgh business leaders. The airline's decision largely hinges on "whether there is strong business demand," along with the volume of feeder traffic, said Tripp. But he could not say when the German airline would render a decision.
Bayer Corp. spokesman Kit Newton said the Pittsburgh-based U.S. subsidiary of Germany's Bayer AG is now flying its employees from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia and then on to Frankfurt. "That means productivity losses of one-half day each way," he said. Bayer would be happy to work with any airline that picks up the nonstop flight from Pittsburgh to Frankfurt, he added.
The United States' "open skies" treaty with Germany would allow Lufthansa to begin Pittsburgh-Frankfurt service, said U.S. Department of Transportation spokesman William Mosley. As the airline already serves the United States, it need only apply to the Federal Aviation Administration and certify that its planes and crew members are air worthy.
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