Exclusive: Düsseldorf’s Asian network ambitions hindered by aircraft delivery delays

Düsseldorf Airport’s (DUS) long-haul network has shrunk considerably compared to 2019. It has taken steps to rebuild it, with La Compagnie announcing it would introduce an all-business class flight to New York from next spring.

It will use its Airbus A321LRs to fly the service beginning April 2027, capturing higher-yielding premium demand from the region, including from neighbouring countries.

Rebuilding a long-haul network is no easy feat, and adding new destinations is even harder – but talks are progressing well for DUS, SVP Aviation Henning Pfisterer tells Aerospace Global News in an interview. However, he shares that aircraft delivery delays are hindering its network growth ambitions.

Asian growth plans and 777X delivery delays

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Düsseldorf Airport had links to several destinations in Asia. Cathay Pacific flew to Hong Kong, All Nippon Airways to Tokyo Narita, Air China to Beijing and Singapore Airlines to Singapore.

Lufthansa Group’s low-cost branch Eurowings also offered A330 flights to Bangkok. The airline no longer operates long-haul services as these have been shifted to the newly-created Discover Airlines which offers flights exclusively out of Lufthansa’s Frankfurt and Munich hubs.

DUS hopes to recover part of its Asian network, including services to Tokyo Narita. Pfisterer points out that the return of a service to Japan depends largely on slot availability, bilateral traffic rights and capacity constraints at Tokyo’s Narita Airport.

All Nippon Airways continues to prioritise growth from Haneda Airport and will do so through fiscal year 28, it said earlier this year. From FY29, it will take advantage of Narita Airport’s planned expansion which will increase takeoff and landing capacity to 500,000. It hopes to grow by a factor of 1.7x. Aviation Week reports that its focus lies on growing US and Europe flights.

“With deliveries of long-haul aircraft being delayed, there is currently no opportunity to serve this route, but we hope to see it return in the coming years,” Pfisterer said, referencing the airport’s discussions with ANA on the topic.

All Nippon Airways is awaiting deliveries for Boeing 777X aircraft, originally meant to begin service with them in 2021. This would potentially free up lower-capacity jets (such as the 787) for a return to Düsseldorf.

He confirmed that the return of the Tokyo connection was possible with another airline too, but did not comment further.  Japan Airlines is the other major long-haul operator out of Tokyo.

“We also aim to get maybe one or two direct services to the big Asian hubs,” he added. “My vision for the future is that in the coming years we are linked to one, two or three Asian hubs, and from there ensuring connections within Asia, to Australia and the broader Pacific region.”

He confirmed that talks were in progress, but 777X delivery delays were a “challenge”. “There are some talks in progress, but there is still the issue of long-haul aircraft availability. We’re somewhere in the pipeline with a couple of carriers.”

When asked whether he was hinting at Cathay Pacific or Singapore Airlines, he acknowledged that both were natural candidates given their respective networks and the markets Düsseldorf is looking to reconnect with.

The airport also wants to be connected to markets it may not previously have had experience with. 

“We spoke with Vietnamese carriers and we see potential for future connections,” he said.

La Compagnie brings New York back to the DUS network

La Compagnie is expanding its network which has historically been focused on connecting France and Italy with Newark with its all-business class configured aircraft. Supported by the arrival of its third A321LR next year, its new Düsseldorf-Newark connection marks its first foray into the German market.

Pfisterer describes the connection as “vital” for the whole region. “New York and Tokyo are basically the most important connections we need to build back,” he said, reflecting on the impact of the pandemic. DUS last had regular flights to the Big Apple until March 2020 with Eurowings, data from aviation analytics firm Cirium shows. Since 2022, Condor has offered a handful of charter services in September and October each year.

DUS has also previously had all-business class flights to New York with PrivatAir on behalf of Lufthansa in the early-2000s.

“La Compagnie studied the market very intensively and, as a niche carrier with a premium product, identified a lot of premium potential here. Also, we have very strong corporations. We are the economic powerhouse of Europe. We have numerous blue-chip companies in our catchment.”

Düsseldorf Airport’s target market is not limited to Germany. It is actively promoting its position in the Dutch market. Pfisterer expects around 10% of La Compagnie’s Newark customers to come from the Netherlands.

“Currently we have about 1.6 million Dutch passengers per year, and we’re continuing to see strong growth in this market. So Düsseldorf is growing as a departure point for Dutch passengers, particularly from the provinces close to the German border.

Leisure and VFR markets see strong growth

Its catchment area is also what drove its ability to offer new services to Curaçao, a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. “It gives Dutch travelers a new travel option on a well-established route to a well-established destination, and at the same time it brings a new destination to the German market,” Pfisterer explains.

The Middle East conflict also had a considerable impact on the airport’s network, though Pfisterer assures that this is not a “structural challenge.” 

He added: “We have seen demand recovering, and we’re already back in stable operations. What is missing a little bit is cruise tourism, because the Gulf region – Dubai, Doha – used to be ports of origin for German cruise ship operators.”

Instead, there has also been a surge to destinations across the Western Mediterranean, Egypt and Türkiye. Sharm el-Sheikh is returning with TUI, joining Corendon which has a strong Egyptian network using its four based aircraft. Air Cairo, Nesma Airlines and Nile Air are also growing their Düsseldorf services.

Düsseldorf Airport is also maintaining its position as a strong hub catering to Visiting Friends and Relatives (VFR) traffic. It was the first European airport to regain links to Syria (with LEAV Aviation). FlyCham and Eurowings are both expected to begin Damascus flights soon. Pfisterer highlights that it is the only airport in Central Europe with links to two destinations in Libya: Tripoli and Benghazi.

Frankfurt’s proximity and traffic rights pose challenges for long-haul growth from Düsseldorf

Nearby Frankfurt Airport (FRA) is Germany’s largest air hub, home to both Lufthansa and Condor. It boasts an expansive long-haul network with flights to almost every corner of the globe. From Düsseldorf, railway connections are particularly convenient. 

Pfisterer concedes that this proximity is “definitely a challenge.”

“We have some leakage, where passengers go by surface transport to Frankfurt and embark on their long-haul flights that are not available from Düsseldorf. Another challenge is bilateral traffic rights. Certain markets cannot be connected with Düsseldorf because of restrictions under bilateral air services agreements,” he continues.

“Certain routes are limited by the number of frequencies and the number of points of entry in Germany. So we are effectively prevented from accessing certain markets that are very important to us, as airlines tend to prioritise the hubs.”

However, he adds that as passengers prefer to avoid surface transportation, there is a desire to grow the number of nonstop connections from Düsseldorf.