Credit: Oliver Roesler/Lufthansa.

UPDATED: Airlines in the Lufthansa Group portfolio have commented on the future direction of their inflight retail programmes after it emerged this week the Lufthansa brand is to end inflight duty free sales on long-haul routes in the coming months.

As reported, categories such as cosmetics, fragrances and fashion, available via its ‘Inflight Shopping’ catalogue under the Worldshop platform, will be unavailable across the entire Lufthansa network from September.

Until then, Worldshop’s merchandise categories can be accessed online ‘as usual’, with ‘no changes’, a Lufthansa Group spokesperson told this publication.

Onboard retail on Lufthansa’s short-haul routes have already ceased.

A spokesperson for the German flag carrier said: “We only had good business on selected routes, so we decided – also because of the economic situation – to stop onboard sales.”

The decision affects the core Lufthansa brand only, with other airlines in the Lufthansa Group’s portfolio, which includes Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS), Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines and Eurowings, responsible for the future direction of their respective inflight businesses.

SWISS told this publication that it is continuing to sell products on board and is ‘satisfied’ with the current business, though it declined to offer specific figures.

It added that it continues to update its product ranges, with cosmetics and accessories ‘particularly popular’.

One inflight source told TRBusiness: “Overall, it’s very sad information. We have been aware [of the decision] for some time.”

Source: Lufthansa Group.

‘Notable impact’

Austrian Airlines says it offers in-flight sales on both long-haul and short-haul routes and as things stand there are no plans to discontinue its inflight sales service.

Brussels Airlines told this publication, it has no intention of ceasing inflight duty free sales on long-haul flights to and from sub-Saharan Africa.

Hanse Travel Retail sources and distributes multiple product categories into inflight retail, among other channels, and has enjoyed a partnership with the airline for more than a decade.

Jakob Barthe, Sales Director, told TRBusiness: “Lufthansa has been one of our longest-standing partners and was among our very first customers when we launched over 16 years ago. Inflight retail has always been at the heart of our business, and with over 25 product listings currently onboard, this change will undoubtedly have a notable impact. That said, we’re actively exploring opportunities to mitigate this and are focusing on growth in other areas of our customer portfolio.

“We were informed [of the decision] well in advance and appreciate the transparent communication from the Lufthansa Group. We’re now working closely with all relevant partners to ensure a smooth phase-out, including managing inventory and minimising returns. At this point, there have been no changes.”

Lufthansa turnaround programme

The development comes in a week that Lufthansa Group posted a 10% year-on-year rise in revenue in the first quarter of 2025 to €8.1 billion/$8.7 billion and an operating loss (adjusted EBIT) of -€722m – an improvement on the -€849m posted in the previous year.

Despite the Group experiencing a period of ‘high volatility’, according to Deutsche Lufthansa AG Chief Financial Officer Till Streichert, its core brand Lufthansa has enjoyed its best operational start to a year in the past decade.

“In this environment, it is good news that we are making progress as planned on issues within our control, such as our turnaround programme at Lufthansa Airlines,” he stated. “At the same time, we are keeping an eye on market risks. We are well prepared to respond should these materialise.

“However, it is not just about risks, but also about positive factors that are already supporting our earnings performance, such as favourable fuel prices and exchange rates. These can help to offset the financial effects of any changes in demand. Overall, we therefore remain confident that we will be able to achieve a full-year result significantly above the previous year’s level.”

While global demand for air travel remains robust and a strong summer is expected, the Group noted that macroeconomic uncertainties, notably trade tensions between the US, the EU and other regions, are making it difficult to accurately forecast the coming quarters, with visibility for the third quarter remaining ‘limited’.

This is an updated version of an article that first appeared on 30 April.

Lead image credit: Oliver Roesler/Lufthansa