Lufthansa to cut 4,000 administrative jobs as AI reshapes its workforce
September 30, 2025
The Lufthansa Group admitted on Monday, 29 September, that it would be cutting around 4,000 administrative jobs by 2030 as digitisation and artificial intelligence (AI) reduce demand for human operatives.
The revelation came as part of the company’s Capital Markets Day, and follows earlier signals of staff reductions, as previously reported by Reuters. The cuts are likely to be in Germany, although there may be effects across the group.
The goal of the cuts is to drive efficiency across the group, and particularly at Lufthansa, which CEO Carsten Sphor has frequently called the ‘problem child’ of the group.
AI and efficiency replace human staff at Lufthansa
The company mentioned the implementation of AI and digitisation as a driver of the job cuts. However, it’s important to see AI as an enabler rather than a direct replacement for human staff.
The job cuts are part of a broader efficiency drive, and are to be implemented over a long period. That gives space for redeployment, retraining and a phased decline of staff numbers, rather than a mass layoff all at once.
There may well be some pushback from the unions. Germany’s labour market has strong protections and a high level of unionisation. There may well be appeals, negotiations and constraints imposed on the process as it shakes out.
The cuts will likely be centred on back office jobs where automation makes sense. Higher level jobs where human judgment plays an important role will be harder to replace.
AI in aviation: Promise and pitfalls
Airlines, airports and service providers are under pressure to make the most of modern technology to improve efficiency. Lufthansa’s job cuts aren’t the first to come as a result of digital transformation, and won’t be the last either.
Southwest Airlines, in early 2025, cut around 1,750 corporate roles affecting around 15% of its corporate workforce. Driving the change was enhanced digital tools, cost control and efficiency.
Replacing staff with AI, in aviation at least, can be a tricky prospect. Airlines operate with intense regulatory scrutiny, requiring redundancy, audit trails and operational resilience. It can be difficult to automate even back office systems without extensive validation, audit and human oversight.
In other aspects of aviation, AI is proving to be a powerful tool. Pilot training has been transformed, MRO is benefiting from improved efficiency, and airlines are investing heavily to harness the power of emerging technologies.
For Lufthansa, it has already worked with Fraport and zeroG to us AI for more efficient aircraft turnarounds. As part of its transformation and as it heads into its centennial year, AI and digital technology continue to play an important role in revitalising the efficiency across the group.
