Eurowings, Europe’s leisure master! (Aviation history #16)
From Commuter Airline to Europe's Leading Low-Cost Carrier: The Evolution of Eurowings
Eurowings GmbH is a German low-cost carrier headquartered in Düsseldorf, in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. However, there is much more to the airline than that simple description. While Eurowings is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Lufthansa Group, it serves a low-cost, leisure-oriented market that differs significantly from that of its parent airline.
Although the concept was proposed as early as 1990, Eurowings was formally founded in 1993. The airline serves a network of domestic and European destinations and maintains bases at several airports throughout Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic. As of 2024, it is the largest low-cost carrier in the German market.
In the early 2000s, Eurowings began operating on behalf of Germanwings, Lufthansa's low-cost carrier at the time. Since the spring of 2015, Eurowings has been redeveloped into a value-oriented carrier offering both short- and long-haul flights for leisure travelers. By October 2015, Lufthansa had begun incorporating Germanwings' route network into Eurowings as part of the merger of the two brands under the Lufthansa Group umbrella.
Eurowings operates from a number of bases in and around Germany, while its Maltese subsidiary, Eurowings Europe, operates from bases in several other European countries. Flights operated by both carriers are scheduled, marketed, and sold under the Eurowings brand.
The origins of Eurowings can be traced to Germany's commuter airline market. The airline was formed on February 1, 1990, shortly after German reunification. It emerged through the merger of Nürnberger Flugdienst (NFD) and Reise- und Industrieflug (RFG, translated as "Travel and Industrial Flying"), two commuter airlines based in Nürnberg and Dortmund, respectively.
Over time, British Aerospace BAe 146 aircraft were added to the fleet, followed later by larger Airbus A320-family aircraft and even the Airbus A310.
Lufthansa first acquired a 24.9% stake in Eurowings in 2001 and increased its ownership to 49% in 2004. The Lufthansa Group assumed full operational control of the airline in 2005 and completed its acquisition of the company in 2011.
As of December 31, 2006, Lufthansa held a 49% shareholding in Eurowings, along with a call option for 50.91% of the remaining shares, effectively positioning the airline for full integration into the Lufthansa Group. At that time, Eurowings owned Germanwings, creating a dedicated low-cost division within the group.
In December 2008, Lufthansa announced plans to acquire Germanwings from Eurowings and establish it as a separate airline within the Lufthansa Group, legally and visually distinct from Eurowings. However, events unfolded differently. By 2016, Germanwings had effectively ceased independent operations, and its activities were absorbed into Lufthansa Group operations. While the transition experienced challenges, a more stable structure had emerged by 2021.
In July 2014, Lufthansa Group announced that Eurowings would replace its fleet of 23 Bombardier CRJ-900 aircraft with 23 Airbus A320s. Ten of the aircraft would be newly ordered, while the remaining 13 would be transferred from Lufthansa Group orders between February 2015 and March 2017.
At roughly the same time, Lufthansa announced the transformation of Eurowings from a regional airline into a low-cost carrier operating both short- and long-haul services, with a particular focus on leisure travel. This transition was scheduled for completion by the end of 2015.
In January 2016, Eurowings canceled its planned service between Cologne and Tehran due to regional instability and ongoing geopolitical tensions.
In February 2017, Eurowings retired its final Bombardier CRJ-900 following a flight from Karlsruhe to Hamburg. The aircraft were transferred to Lufthansa CityLine and replaced by larger Airbus A320-200s as part of the airline's transformation from a regional carrier into a low-cost operator.
In February 2018, Eurowings announced that all long-haul routes then operating from Cologne Bonn Airport would be relocated to Düsseldorf Airport by late October 2018. The move was intended to strengthen the airline's long-haul presence in Düsseldorf. Following the transition, Düsseldorf and Munich became Eurowings' primary long-haul bases.
In 2019, parent company Lufthansa Group announced plans to spin off these long-haul operations into a new low-cost long-haul airline known as Eurowings Discover.
In 2021, Eurowings announced the opening of another operational base, this time in Prague, Czech Republic.
On January 15, 2025, Eurowings announced six new routes, including a direct service from Düsseldorf to Ponta Delgada. Additional new destinations included flights from Hanover to Bastia, Lisbon, and Erbil, Iraq, as well as new routes connecting Dublin and Stuttgart and Porto with Cologne/Bonn.
Overall, it has been relatively quiet for Eurowings over the past year. Nevertheless, the airline has demonstrated a remarkable ability to evolve alongside changing market conditions, and only time will tell what the future may bring.
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