- Lufthansa has initiated a voluntary redundancy scheme for 550 administrative staff.
- The plan is part of the broader “New Ways” transformation initiative.
- The airline aims to cut roughly 4,000 administrative jobs by 2030.
- The cuts are driven by a need to modernise through AI and digitalisation.
- The voluntary program aims to avoid harsher structural measures.
Lufthansa has officially initiated the first stage of its restructuring plan, triggering a voluntary redundancy scheme that targets 550 administrative employees. This targeted rollout marks the practical beginning of the airline’s broader “New Ways” internal transformation initiative, which was designed to tackle soaring administrative overheads and improve group-wide integration. The current exit program specifically seeks to eliminate 550 administrative roles, focusing heavily on the core Lufthansa Airlines brand and centralized group functions.
The cuts heavily focus on front-line operational staff like cabin crew or pilots, with management citing a critical need to modernise through artificial intelligence (AI) and digitalisation. This is the first phase of a larger strategy to cut roughly 4,000 administrative jobs by 2030, amounting to approximately a 20pc reduction in the total corporate workforce. The rollout follows pressure from investors after the Lufthansa Group missed its previous profitability goals and struggled with a bloated corporate structure.
CEO Carsten Spohr previously stated that the company must become leaner in administration to protect its margins and fund ongoing technology investments. The voluntary program represents management’s attempt to achieve these reductions smoothly before exploring harsher structural measures. Industry monitors report that the automation will streamline processes that previously suffered from a duplication of work across its carriers.
Carsten Spohr shared: “The company must become leaner in administration to protect its margins and fund ongoing technology investments.”
