However, Lufthansa continues to offer a daily direct connection to Beijing via its second hub in Munich. The Airbus A350, a more modern aircraft with lower fuel costs, is used on this route. Older Airbus A340s were recently used from Frankfurt.
The background to the route cancellation is international competition. The Lufthansa Group has often complained about the unequal competition with providers from China, Turkey and the Persian Gulf. The airlines from these countries benefited from low location costs, low social standards and high government investments in the aviation sector. In addition, they continue to use the airspace over Russia, which is boycotted by Western companies, so that they have further cost advantages from shorter routes.