[Herald Interview] Lufthansa bets big on Korea’s growing cultural influence in Europe

Celebrating 40 years of direct flights between Korea and Germany, Lufthansa Group is intensifying its focus on Korea with tech-driven travel solutions and sustainability efforts. Earlier this year, the group launched direct services from Seoul to Zurich with SWISS and is continuing to explore opportunities to increase capacity in the Korean market.

In a recent interview with The Korea Herald, Leandro Tonidandel, Lufthansa Group’s general manager for Korea, shared insights into how Korea’s vibrant market and cultural influence continue to drive Lufthansa’s commitment.

"Korea has become one of the most dynamic markets, not just in Asia but globally,” he said. “There’s far more to Korea than just K-pop and K-dramas, and Lufthansa is working actively to highlight these untapped aspects for European travelers,"

Tonidandel took on his current role in 2021, bringing over 25 years of marketing and sales experience within the Lufthansa Group. His career started at the Lufthansa ticket counter at the age of 19, and he has since served in roles across Norway, Indonesia and Busan. Now, he oversees sales activities for Lufthansa, Swiss and Austrian Airlines in Korea, while also serving as chair of the tourism committee of the European Chamber of Commerce in Korea.

"Today, bilateral interest between Korea and Europe is growing, driven by both economic ties and cultural exchanges," Tonidandel explained. "European companies increasingly view Korea as a strategic location for tech and biosciences. Our travel data shows that Korea is attracting global investment, underscoring the country’s growing role in global supply chains."

The group’s flagship carrier has seen a shift from primarily inbound business travel to a stronger outbound corporate travel market. Today, around 35 percent of Lufthansa’s Korean route passengers are corporate travelers.

“This reflects Korea’s expanding economy and global business presence. For example, we’ve seen increased travel by K-content groups going abroad for performances, reshaping global business travel from Korea to the world."

Since last year, Lufthansa has been working with KTX to provide passengers with rail connections to eight cities in Korea. The rail and air service has seen 40 percent growth in bookings monthly, and a separate Lufthansa check-in counter has opened at Seoul Station City Airport Terminal, the first of its kind outside Europe.

Regarding the planned merger of Korean Air and Asiana Airlines, Tonidandel emphasized that aviation market dynamics can always change. "Asiana has been part of the Star Alliance, and as a founding member of the alliance, we're actively exploring strategies to remain effective in Korea post-merger. We excel in competitive markets and believe that any form of competition will ultimately benefit our passengers."

As a premium airline, Lufthansa remains committed to delivering top-quality products and services. The new Allegris premium experience, featuring state-of-the-art catering and service enhancements for long-haul flights, is part of a 2.5 billion-euro ($2.7 billion) investment, which the group plans to introduce in Seoul in the coming years.

The country manager emphasized that despite significant global challenges in the past, including the Asian financial crisis of the late 1990s and the global pandemic, Lufthansa's operations in Korea have remained resilient.

"Korea has 51 million people, with 25 million traveling abroad annually and 23 million foreigners visiting," he said. "In the next two to three years, we’re aiming to introduce more Lufthansa brands to Korea."