Lufthansa to stop Manila-Europe flights by April

German airline Lufthansa AG on Wednesday announced that it will be stopping all Manila-Europe flights beginning April 2008 due to "strong competition." The airline provides over 30 percent of traveler traffic between the Philippines and Europe. The company's local office Deutsche Lufthansa AF made the announcement saying the decision is part of its business strategy. The move leaves KLM Royal Dutch Airlines as the only European carrier flying to and from the Philippines by April 2008. Lufthansa currently flies seven times weekly with 66 business class and 279 economy class allocations per flight. In a statement, Secretary Ace Durano of the Department of Tourism said the DOT is consulting with the Civil Aeronautics Board and other partners in the tourism sector to make the country more accessible to travelers, especially from the European region, even after Lufthansa's decision. CAB informed the DOT that the air seats that will be vacated by Lufthansa will most likely be taken up by Middle Eastern airlines. European visitor arrivals increased by 13.8 percent in 2007. The United Kingdom and Germany are currently in the 12 leading sources of tourists. Meanwhile, Russia presents itself as the fastest growing sector with a 128.9 percent hike in arrivals in 2007, the DOT said. - GMANews.TV