The Cologne-based carrier said profit surged 55 per cent last year after cheaper fuel and higher passenger numbers boosted earnings.
The results offset a difficult year for the company, which was dominated by strikes and the devastating crash of an aircraft belonging to its budget offshoot, Germanwings.
However, investors marked down the airline’s stock after its 2016 outlook fell short of expectations.
Releasing the results, Lufthansa said it expected only a slight increase in profit during 2016.
As a result, the group’s shares were down 6.84 per cent to 14.24 euros (16 dollars) by late morning trading on the Frankfurt Stock Market.
The drop came despite the company saying it expected to slash its aircraft fuel bill by 1 billion euros this year to about 4.8 billion euros and to lower ticket prices as the current year unfolds.
The publication of the airline’s results came almost one year after a suicidal co-pilot Andreas Lubitz crashed Germanwings flight 4U 9525, en route from Barcelona to Dusseldorf, into the French Alps, killing all 150 people on board.
“With the Germanwings tragedy, 2015 was an emotionally very challenging year for the Lufthansa Group,” said chief executive Carsten Spohr. “The numerous strikes were a further burden,” he said.
The Germanwings’ crash came against the backdrop of a series of strikes by Lufthansa group pilots and cabin crew over the company’s drive to cut costs in the face of tough competition from European budget carriers and new Middle East-based international airlines.
The strike action also hit the earnings contribution from the airline’s cargo, which declined by 40 per cent to 74 million euros.
Still, Lufthansa, which marked its 60th anniversary last year, said on Thursday adjusted earnings before interest and taxes jumped to 1.82 billion euros last year from 1.17 billion euros in 2014. The result was in line with analysts’ forecasts.
The group proposed a dividend payment of 0.50 euros per share after it suspended a payout to shareholders last year.
Source: GNA
