What Lufthansa Consulting does

Lufthansa Consulting is an aviation-focused management consultancy headquartered in Frankfurt, with a regional office in São Paulo, Brazil. The firm advises airlines, airports, governments, civil aviation authorities, and aviation investors across commercial strategy, customer experience, operations, corporate strategy (including M&A and restructuring), and technical domains. It is an independent, wholly-owned subsidiary of the Lufthansa Group and is led by Managing Director Hannes Müller, with senior partners heading dedicated markets across the Americas, Africa and Indian Ocean, Middle East, CIS, Lufthansa Group commercial functions, and Lufthansa Group operations functions.

The firm's delivery model rests on six aviation-specialized Solution Groups — Customer Experience; Flight and Technical Operations; Infrastructure and Operations; Network and Fleet Planning; Strategy and Organization; and Sales and Revenue Management — which develop thought leadership and standardize methodologies. Codified proprietary assets include the Airline Business Model Framework (ABMF), launched September 2025 to analyze next-generation airline business models, and a Customer-Centric Post-Merger Integration Framework. Recent adjuncts include a Digital Maturity Assessment service deployed at Salzburg Airport. AI capabilities are deployed in client-facing transformation work (generative-AI chatbots, agentic assistants with Model Context Protocol, recommendation engines, operational analytics for delay forecasting and baggage handling) rather than as standalone products.

Lufthansa Consulting generates revenue through project-based consulting engagements priced on scope, duration, and team composition, typically delivered under multi-year contracts. Disclosed 2025 turnover is €28 million, generated by approximately 120 full-time and freelance staff. The firm blends external enterprise clients (e.g., TAAG Angola Airlines, EASA, Auckland Airport, Icelandair, Philippine Airlines, EgyptAir, Air Mauritius, Bahrain Airport Services, Civil Aviation Administration of Kazakhstan) with internal advisory work for Lufthansa Group subsidiaries (Lufthansa Cargo, Eurowings, Austrian Airlines, Discover Airlines, Lufthansa Technik). Go-to-market is senior-partner-led enterprise field sales, supported by thought leadership, content marketing, an active presence at industry events (IATA AGM, CAPA, Routes, AviaDev, ITB), and earned-media rankings from brand eins, WirtschaftsWoche, and Süddeutsche Zeitung.

Name

Lufthansa Consulting

Legal name

Lufthansa Consulting GmbH

Website

https://lhconsulting.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Lufthansa Consulting is an aviation-focused management consultancy advising airlines, airports, governments, and aviation investors worldwide from Frankfurt and São Paulo, organized around six Solution Groups spanning commercial, customer, operations, strategy, and technical services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aviation Management Consulting

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Strategy & Corporate Development Consulting (BPAHACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Corporate Development & Strategic Partnerships Advisory (JVs, Alliances, Carve-outs) (BPAHAOAG), M&A Advisory (Buy-side/Sell-side) (BPAHADAC)

Keywords

• Aviation management consulting
• Airline consulting services
• Airport consulting services
• Aviation strategy advisory
• Airline transformation consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Frankfurt

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Management Consulting Services: Lufthansa Consulting generates revenue through project-based consulting engagements with airlines, airports, governments, and aviation stakeholders worldwide. Services span strategy, operations, commercial, customer, and technical consulting. Turnover reported as €28 million in 2025.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Lufthansa Consulting provides aviation and management consulting services to airlines, airports, and public/private sector clients worldwide. Offerings span strategy development, commercial optimization (network, pricing, revenue management), customer experience, operations, M&A advisory, restructuring, and technical services (MRO, compliance). Engagements are project-based and run from strategy formulation through hands-on implementation, supported by proprietary frameworks such as the Airline Business Model Framework (ABMF).

Product overview

Lufthansa Consulting is an award-winning aviation management consultancy offering a portfolio of specialized consulting services organized around core service lines (Airline, Airport, and Public/Private Sector consulting) and five key service modules (Commercial, Customer, Operations, Strategy, and Technical). The firm organizes its consultants into six Solution Groups (Customer Experience, Flight and Technical Operations, Infrastructure and Operations, Network and Fleet Planning, Strategy and Organization, and Sales and Revenue Management), which develop thought leadership and new products. Recent product offerings include the Airline Business Model Framework (ABMF) tool and Digital Maturity Assessment service. The consultancy operates primarily as a service-based firm rather than a software product company, with implementation-focused engagements spanning strategy to execution.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Airline Consulting Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Ranked among top consulting firms in Germany every year since 2016 by brand eins
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers21 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability7 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• University of St.Gallen's Center for Aviation and Space CompetenceminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 June 2024Cooperation announced at Routes World 2024 between Lufthansa Consulting and the University of St.Gallen's Center for Aviation and Space Competence. The partnership focuses on academic collaboration and knowledge exchange in aviation and space sectors.
• Inhouse Consulting Network (ICN)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLufthansa Consulting became a member of the Inhouse Consulting Network (ICN) in 2024. ICN is a network connecting in-house consulting units of major corporations in Germany.
• Lufthansa GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLufthansa Consulting is an independent subsidiary of the Lufthansa Group. The company benefits from affiliation with one of the world's leading aviation groups and founder of StarAlliance, enabling intensive personnel exchange, practical tried-and-tested solutions, and access to diversified Lufthansa Group experience.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• ICF International (with SH&E aviation practice): ICF's SH&E (formerly Simat, Helliesen & Eichner) aviation consulting practice is one of the longest-standing global aviation-specialist consultancies, advising airlines, airports, regulators, and investors on strategy, operations, and commercial performance — directly comparable to Lufthansa Consulting's full-service aviation advisory model.
• Oliver Wyman: Oliver Wyman maintains one of the largest dedicated airline and airport consulting practices globally, including the former Mercer Management Consulting aviation team. Competes for the same airline transformation, network planning, and revenue management mandates that Lufthansa Consulting serves.
• Mott MacDonald: Mott MacDonald's aviation team provides airports, airlines, and governments with advisory and engineering consulting worldwide. Its aviation strategy and master-planning capabilities overlap directly with Lufthansa Consulting's airport consulting, M&A advisory, and infrastructure solution groups.

Broad incumbents

• Bain & Company: Bain's global airline and transportation practice advises carriers on competitive strategy, restructuring, M&A, and digital transformation — the same core competencies Lufthansa Consulting markets under its Strategy and Network & Fleet Solution Groups. Bain serves as a broader-incumbent alternative for premium airline mandates.
• Roland Berger: Headquartered in Munich and one of Germany's top-tier management consultancies with deep airline, MRO, and aerospace sector coverage. Roland Berger competes head-to-head with Lufthansa Consulting for German Mittelstand and European aviation mandates including restructuring and strategy work.
• Kearney: Kearney's Transportation & Infrastructure practice advises airlines, airports, and aviation investors on commercial optimisation, operating-model redesign, and post-merger integration — directly comparable to Lufthansa Consulting's commercial, customer, and strategy service modules.
• McKinsey & Company: McKinsey's Airlines and Aerospace practices serve the world's largest flag carriers and airports on whole-company transformation, strategy, and digital reinvention. Lufthansa Consulting frequently competes for aviation transformation mandates where McKinsey is the default incumbent.

Emerging players

• York Aviation: York Aviation is a UK-based specialist aviation consultancy providing strategy, regulation, and economics advice to airlines, airports, and governments. While smaller and more regionally focused than Lufthansa Consulting, it competes directly for specialised airport and aviation-economics consulting engagements in Europe.
• Aerospace Aviation Solutions (Helder Consulting): Specialised aviation management consultancy advising airlines, MROs, and aviation investors on commercial and operational performance. Competes with Lufthansa Consulting for narrow-scope technical and MRO advisory work across EMEA and emerging markets.

Others

• Airports Council International (ACI): While ACI is an industry association rather than a consultancy, it sits on the demand side of the same consulting value chain as Lufthansa Consulting (best-practice, training, and policy work for member airports). Listed because Lufthansa Consulting is already an ACI partner, making it an adjacent ecosystem participant.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/LHConsultant
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@lufthansaconsulting
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lufthansa-consulting
• Instagraminstagram.com/lufthansa_consulting

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Lufthansa Consulting