Lufthansa is optimistic for 2009 and launches flight Lisbon-Milan

Despite the decline of 101 million in operating profits from January to Septembera Lufthansa is optimistic about its' performance 'in the next year and for the domestic market, will launch from May direct flights between Lisbon and Milan

"Next year will be very challenging. We are ready for a big demand and this new route proves our bet on the domestic market ', told reporters the general manager of Lufthansa for Portugal, Frank Wagner.

Thus, from the summer of next year, Lufthansa going to offer direct flights between Lisbon and Milan Malpensa, as well as a new route between London and Milan before, in February of next year, the carrier to proceed with direct flights between Milan and Barcelona, Brussels, Budapest, Bucharest and Paris.

Already on the results of the company in the first nine months of the year, pointing to an operating profit of 984 million euros (101 million less than for the same period), Frank Wagner considers them 'excellent', taking into account the instability of the international environment.

Net income in the same period was 551 million euros, compared with 1.6 billion in 2007.

"We have the flexibility and we are focused on following the trends of market demand", stressed the director-general. Also according to the spokesman of Lufthansa, the strategy is simple: "There is always interested in growing in the most promising. We will take into account the needs of our customers, but also the shareholders', said Frank Wagner.

Crisis will not hinder growth in revenue

Despite the financial crisis, Lufthansa provides revenue higher in 2008 than in the previous year. The group estimates an operating profit of 1.1 billion euros.

In the first nine months, the group achieved revenues of 18.6 billion euros, 13.6% more than in 2007. Traffic grew 18% to 15 billion euros. For this result, contributed to total integration of Swiss, but also increasing the number of passengers with average revenues stable segment of the business of transporting passengers.

On the expenditure rose to 18.9 billion euros during the first nine months, with the increase in fuel prices to contribute to this topic in the order of 4.1 billion.

The "cash flow" operational totaled 2.1 billion euros.