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Home | Update | Latest Issue | Gallery | FR Profile | Datafiles | FR 1/97 40 YEARS OF FLUG REVUE by Wolfdietrich Hoeveler More than 100 guests from the aerospace branch followed the invitation of the Aerospace Forum and Motor-Presse Stuttgart to come to the Bonn representation of the state of Baden-Württemberg on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of FLUG REVUE. Ferdi Tillmann as chairman of the Forum, which is striving for a higher acceptance of aerospace especially in the political sphere, described the development of FLUG REVUE as a continuos climb. Peter-Paul Pietsch, member of the publishing company's management, pointed out that FLUG REVUE has had the top position of the German-language aerospace publications for more than 40 years. Lufthansa vice president, Dr. Klaus Nittinger, not only used the opportunity as guest speaker to acknowledge FLUG REVUE as an important medium of the branch, but also to highlight the significance of the growth market aerospace: "Civil air traffic is growing twice as fast as the gross national product. This opens new markets for the aerospace companies." In 1956, the year when FLUG REVUE was founded, the Lufthansa fleet counted ten aircraft. Today, the concern owns 314 aircraft and until 1999 the investment needs up to six billion Marks. Nittinger continued that aerospace in Germany is currently going through a phase of changes which is characterized by high-technology in connection with efficiency and a clear market orientation. He further explained that the painful change is not finished for Lufthansa yet. However, the industry is on the same difficult but nevertheless inevitable path. Dr. Nittinger: "The future will be measured by what is economically feasible and not by what is technologically possible." Dr. Nittinger especially expressed his dislike of governmental subsidies: "Subsidies screw up the market prices. Our subsidized competitors can offer prices which are not cost-covering and which we can only offer if we trade-in the profit generated in other traffic areas. The damage must be paid by the healthy operating companies. Subsidies hinder structural changes. Wherever governmental subsidies flow, ailing airlines are not, or only slowly being cleaned up. Some of the airlines appealed not just once as petitioners at the approving administration in Brussels." Dr. Nittinger also advised the industry to put more effort into finding out the customer's need and benefit, as well as optimizing marketing. There should be no governmental accommodation contracts. With this in mind, he forecasted for FLUG REVUE that the next decade will not be any less interesting than the past 40 years. From page 74 of FLUG REVUE 1/97 Home | Update | Latest Issue | Gallery | FR Profile | Datafiles | FR 1/97 Copyright 1996 by Motor-Presse Stuttgart. All rights reserved. Last updated December 11, 1996