Eurowings, Lufthansa Group’s low-cost subsidiary, has reported strong annual results for 2024 which it claims to be as a result of decisions to expand its tourism business.

Despite difficult conditions in German air traffic, because of its high location costs and rising taxes and fees, the airline saw an 11% increase in revenue to around €2.9 billion. It also welcomed roughly 23 million passengers, and its employment numbers rose to 5,300 in the last year.

Growth and profit were largely due to a focus placed on growing tourism, with Eurowings operating its first direct connections to the Middle East, as a result of high demand for more connections to the Gulf region. Currently, it operates routes from major metropolitan areas in Germany, like Berlin, to Dubai and Jeddah, with plans for a new route to Abu Dhabi.

As part of the largest European airline group, Eurowings has access to a large network already, but approaching summer 2025 it has plans to reach 142 destinations in 26 countries around Europe.

Eurowings has also established its own tour operator, Eurowings Holidays, that offers the airlines more than 20 million customers tailored holiday packages and has been a major source of growth.

Jens Bischof, chief executive of Eurowings, commented: “The strong 2024 result is first and foremost an outstanding team effort by our employees throughout Europe, which deserves the highest recognition. The figures also show that our repositioning as a value airline for Europe is increasingly bearing fruit. This motivates us to continue this success story in 2025.”