Out for Frankfurt

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On March 30, Air Dolomiti will take off from Linz for the last time for the time being.(Bild: Markus Wenzel)

Flight number EN 8041 to Frankfurt! On Saturday, March 30, Air Dolomiti will take off from Linz under this code for the last time for the time being, because Lufthansa is withdrawing the aircraft due to aircraft bottlenecks. And after that? A replacement solution has not yet been found. Bitter news for Hörsching: the Düsseldorf offer is also shrinking.

The bad news for Linz Airport was announced in mid-January: Because an engine recall is thinning out the Lufthansa fleet until further notice, the airline is withdrawing the Air Dolomiti jet that connects Hörsching with the Frankfurt hub.

"Many business travelers use the connection, others fly via Frankfurt for their vacations," says Norbert Draskovits, CEO of Linz Airport.(Bild: Markus Wenzel)

A week from Saturday, the plane will take off at 10.45 a.m. for the last time for the time being. "Apart from phases during the pandemic, the connection has been flown without interruption since 1960," muses airport boss Norbert Draskovits, who speaks of a "turning point": "It hurts us."

Almost 233,000 passengers in the previous year

With 232,950 passengers, 25,184 more used Linz Airport in the previous year than in 2022. Around 70,000 people traveled between Hörsching and Frankfurt. Air freight fell to 44,324 tons in 2023.

SkyAlps could fill the gap, according to speculation
Efforts are feverishly underway to find a replacement. SkyAlps is always brought into play, but negotiations with Lufthansa have not yet been brought to the ground. Draskovits is a realist and expects the connection to be resumed in September or October: "If you consider the lead times, you probably have to check off the summer."

Only two Düsseldorf flights per week
In parallel to the temporary withdrawal from Frankfurt, the Düsseldorf connection, which only resumed at the end of October, will also be reduced - from three times to twice a week: "We need different flight times and a daily flight here - we are working on an improvement."