Lufthansa reports fall in passenger numbers

But plans flights to Iraq

German carrier Lufthansa flew 2.6% less passengers in 2009 than 2008, it revealed today.

To match the decline in demand, capacity was reduced by 1.3% over the course of the year.

Around 55.6 million passengers flew with Lufthansa in 2009, with all regions reporting a drop in traffic except the Middle East and Africa.

Revenue seat-kilometres fell by 2.4%.

Lufthansa continues to grow its routes to the Middle East, with the latest announcement revealing planned flights to Baghdad from Frankfurt and Munich.

"As Iraq is increasingly opening up to civil aviation, demand for flights to the country is growing. Lufthansa is therefore examining the possibility of launching several new services to Iraq," said Lufthansa.

Flights to the capital, Baghdad, and Erbil, in northern Iraq, are planned for this summer, pending traffic rights and possible infrastructure requirements.

Lufthansa flew to Baghdad from 1956 until the start of the Gulf War in 1990.

Erbil is already served by Austrian Airlines, which is part of the Lufthansa Group, from its Vienna hub.

www.lufthansa.com