Lufthansa Group managed to achieve a 55% jump in adjusted earnings before interest and taxes to €1.82 billion in 2015, but described it as an ’emotionally challenging’ year.
The airline group said the Germanwings tragedy last March and numerous strikes had taken their toll, but the year was good in economic terms.
The group doubled annual earnings to €1.5 billion thanks to lower oil prices, higher passenger numbers and ‘capacity discipline’.
"For 2016 we are aiming to increase our result for the Lufthansa Group again,” said chairman Carsten Spohr.
"We aim to enhance the profitability of our hub airlines by further modernizing their fleets and further increasing efficiency.
"We will only grow capacity where our cost structures are competitive. We will expand Eurowings substantially and enlarge the route network.”
But the group said it expect only a slight improvement in EBIT in 2016.
"We will not be unduly influenced by the current low fuel costs," said CFO Simone Menne.
"They will provide a welcome tailwind for our 2016 results, too; but cost discipline remains one of our paramount tasks. We must lower the unit costs at our hub airlines. This is and remains the key to maintain our competitiveness."
