(MT Newswires) -- Deutsche Lufthansa AG CEO Carsten Spohr announces results for the company, pointing to major investments in new aircraft and dividend payments for the first time in several years. Lufthansa plans to recruit a record number of employees and pay record bonuses thanks to these exceptional profits.

Spohr expects ticket prices to remain stable, allowing record investments to continue despite still limited supply, notably due to aircraft delivery delays by Boeing and Airbus. In response to robust demand, Lufthansa plans to hire up to 13,000 new staff. In the long term, the airline expects to return to pre-pandemic passenger numbers by 2025.

Spohr mentions that Lufthansa is interested in acquiring the activities of the former "Alitalia" airline. He mentions that the European Commission is currently analysing the conformity of this transaction. Spohr stressed the importance for Lufthansa of positioning itself as a global player in order to remain competitive.

As regards orders for Boeing aircraft, Spohr remains confident that the manufacturer will be able to resolve the current problems and is awaiting delivery of the 777X and 737-8.

In terms of dividends, Lufthansa has announced its first dividend since 2019.

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