Lufthansa Puts Frankfurt Expansion on Hold

Lufthansa Cargo is suspending plans for a $1.35 billion expansion of the airline’s Frankfurt hub because of a German court’s ban on night flights at the airport, according to a published report.

The airline’s action is the strongest response yet to a ruling that effectively shut down Lufthansa’s night operations, triggering an overhaul of the carrier’s extensive freighter schedule.

Lufthansa Cargo CEO Karl Garnadt said last month the airline remained committed to an expansion that would sharply scale up the airline’s handling capacity at Frankfurt to 2 million metric tons. But an airline official told Reuters the carrier now is awaiting a review of the regional court ruling before proceeding.

“Lufthansa still wants to invest, but the size is dependent on the night flight regulations,” the unnamed official said.