(Bloomberg) Deutsche Lufthansa AG reined in capacity plans and London’s Heathrow airport lowered passenger forecasts as new waves of coronavirus infections dent prospects for a travel rebound by the start of summer. Lufthansa now expects to offer only 40% of its pre-pandemic capacity for 2021 as a whole, according to a statement Thursday, a figure that’s below the level it has said is needed to generate positive cash flow. Heathrow cut its outlook to as few as 13 million passengers, less than the number it attracted last year. Airlines and the hubs they serve are wrestling with an uncertain outlook as governments work toward reopening travel while the virus surges in countries such as India. Europe remains in the grip of the pandemic amid a sluggish vaccine rollout, with the International Air Transport Association forecasting that the region will be the slowest worldwide to reduce losses this year. Lufthansa shares were trading down 1% as of 9:03 a.m. in Frankfurt. The German air
Lufthansa Raises 1.6 Billion Euros to Repay German Government Aid
LONDON German airline Lufthansa said it had issued a 1.6 billion euro ($1.92 billion) bond on Thursday, money that will be used to repay part of a bailout given last year by state lender KfW to help it cope with the COVID-19 crisis.
“We are very grateful for the support we receive in our home markets. Today’s successful bond placement allows us to repay the entire KfW loan,” Lufthansa Chief Financial Officer Remco Steenbergen said in a statement.
“Despite the repayment, however, it is likely that we will draw additional elements of the stabilization package which are currently unused. The extent of the utilization will depend on the further course of the pandemic,” he added.