Lufthansa will allow passengers to use new digital COVID-19 vaccination certificates at check-in for their flights, the German airline said on Thursday.
Lufthansa said passengers would be able to show the digital proof of vaccination either on their phones or on a printout when checking in at the airport, and the boarding pass would then be issued.
“This eliminates the need to juggle different papers and proofs. It also significantly reduces the risk of misuse of fake vaccination certificates,” Lufthansa said.
Germany started issuing QR codes for those who are fully vaccinated last week.
Germans are booking holidays again at rates higher than in 2019 before the coronavirus hit, TUI Group, the world’s biggest holiday group, said on Wednesday.
Lufthansa said on selected routes it would also soon be possible to use the digital vaccination certificate to check in via smartphone using the airline’s app.
Passengers who want to check they have the right paperwork can also contact the Lufthansa service centre up to 72 hours before they fly, which can also deal with proof of a negative COVID-19 test, recovery from the virus and also vaccinations.
Lufthansa said it still recommends that passengers carry their original printed vaccination certificates with them on their journey until further notice.
Lufthansa said earlier on Thursday its new subsidary focused on holiday flights, Eurowings Discover, will ramp up operations faster than expected this year, starting with a flight at the end of July from Frankfurt to Mombasa.
European Union countries agreed last week to an easing of travel restrictions over the summer that will allow fully vaccinated tourists to avoid tests or quarantines and broaden the list of EU regions from which it is safe to travel.
Britain is considering easing travel restrictions for double vaccinated people, a move which would placate airlines who are threatening legal action against the government’s strict curbs on trips abroad.
Germany’s Lufthansa plots course for leaner post-pandemic future
Germany’s Lufthansa moved closer to a capital increase, outlining plans for a post-pandemic return to profit as a leaner airline with a smaller fleet and fewer staff.
Lufthansa was pushed to the brink by the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, when travel restrictions led to a collapse in air travel, forcing it to take 9 billion euros ($11 billion) in aid from Germany and its other home countries.
The date and size of the capital raising have yet to be determined, but the company said in a statement late on Monday that banks were already making preparations. Recovery plans also include some disposals.
“We have passed the low point of the crisis,” Chief Executive Carsten Spohr told analysts.
“It’s time now to look ahead with confidence,” he said, adding that air traffic volumes had improved since April as infection rates had dropped.
Lufhansa said it expected the German state, which owns 20% of the company after last year’s bail-out, to consent to the plan, which would not involve another injection of public funds.
In May, shareholders gave approval for the group to raise up to 5 billion euros, although the company said it would not need the full amount.
Any proceeds could go towards paying back the 6.8 bln euros state aid given by Germany. Support also came from governments in the airline’s other homes – Austria, Belgium and Switzerland.
The airline said it planned to raise money from selling its catering business LSG and financial services business Airplus next year, and was considering selling or floating a minority stake in Lufthansa Technik, its aircraft servicing business.
It aims to have an adjusted earnings before interest and taxation (EBIT) margin of at least 8% and an adjusted return on capital employed (ROCE) of at least 10% in 2024. Its adjusted ROCE was –16.7% in 2020 and 6.6% in 2019.
The plans envisage cutting costs by 3.5 billion euros by 2024 compared to 2019, including a 1.8 billion euro reduction in staff costs, and a fleet that will be 20% smaller but more efficient.
Photo: EPA-EFE/MAURITZ ANTIN
