Russia is attempting to force the German airline Lufthansa to relocate its Asian hub from Kazakhstan to Siberia, reported the German edition of the Financial Times on Friday following the ban on cargo flights by the German company in Russian airspace.
"We sent a letter to our German colleagues on October 22, proposing that they use Krasnoyarsk in Siberia as a future hub," said Timur Chikmatov, spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Transport, to the newspaper.
Lufthansa Cargo, one of the world’s largest air cargo carriers, currently uses Astana in Kazakhstan as its base for Asian services, but was banned from entering Russian airspace on Sunday, which extended flights in that direction by several hours.
"The Russian government would like our hub to be in Siberia," said a spokesperson for Lufthansa Cargo, adding that Novosibirsk was the second airport they had proposed.
The detours have increased the German carrier’s fuel costs by about $400,000 per week, and Lufthansa has warned that its profits could be affected. Germany and Russia have begun negotiations on this issue, and according to the spokesperson for Lufthansa Cargo, the company is waiting for politicians to find a solution. The German government announced that it might seek assistance from the EU if nothing is resolved soon. According to earlier reports from the German press, the dispute centers on new overflight fees that came into effect with the winter flight schedule on Sunday. Lufthansa is also concerned about the safety of Siberian airports. Krasnoyarsk, located about 1,500 kilometers east of Astana, reportedly lacks landing guides in foggy conditions, FT adds.
