Category Archives: Lufthansa

Lufthansa launches Airbus A380 service from Munich to Shanghai

Lufthansa is now operating the Airbus A380 on the Munich – Shanghai route.

Photos: Lufthansa.

Lufthansa to restore the Munich – São Paulo route

Lufthansa mad this announcement:

Reintroduction of the Munich–São Paulo direct connection with the Airbus A350-900
Lufthansa Group offers 17 flights from Europe to São Paulo per week

Off to Latin America: Lufthansa continues to expand its offer from Munich. From now on, the airline is including the connection to São Paulo in its Munich flight schedule again. Three weekly connections with the Airbus A350-900 to the largest city in Brazil are planned. Flight number LH504 takes off in Munich on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 10:30 p.m. and arrives in São Paulo at 6:55 a.m. the following day. The return flight leaves the Brazilian metropolis at 6 p.m. local time and arrives in Munich at 9:35 the next morning. Lufthansa Group now offers a total of 17 weekly connections from Europe to São Paulo. “We are pleased to connect São Paulo with our premium hub in Munich again. For the first time ever, Lufthansa is using the Airbus A350-900 on flights to South America – the most modern and environmentally friendly long-haul aircraft in the world,” says Markus Binkert, CCO Hub Munich & Senior Vice President Marketing.

São Paulo is the most important economic, financial and cultural center of Brazil and the largest industrial conurbation in Latin America. 21 million people live in the Grande São Paulo metropolitan area, making São Paulo one of the largest cities in the world.

Airbus A350-900: the world’s most sustainable long-haul aircraft

Lufthansa is serving the new destination with an Airbus A350-900, the world’s most modern and sustainable long-haul aircraft. Its kerosene consumption averages 2.9 liters per passenger per 100 kilometers of flight, which is 25 percent less than comparable aircraft types. As a result, the A350-900 produces a quarter less greenhouse gas. The Rolls-Royce XWB engines are among the most efficient engines for large passenger aircraft currently in operation. Together with the weight savings, they result in a noise footprint reduction of 50 percent. At the same time, a modern fleet also means a significant increase in comfort for passengers. The cabin of the A350-900 has received several awards: the Economy Class received the German Design Award in 2018, and the cabin lighting received a special award at “Deutscher Lichtdesign-Preis”, the German lighting design awards. With the introduction of the Lufthansa A350-900, it is possible for the first time to provide biorhythm support with the right light at the right time. And another special feature of the A350-900: due to the special structural design, cabin pressure remains comfortable during cruising, so that passengers arrive better rested.

Lufthansa aircraft photo gallery:

Lufthansa to add two new destinations in Greece for summer 2020

Lufthansa has made this announcement:

Zakynthos new from Munich
Rhodes now from Frankfurt

Sun, beach and sea: Greece remains a popular trend destination for many holidaymakers. And from summer 2020, Lufthansa will be offering two further ways for spending the holidays in the eastern Mediterranean: With Zakynthos from Munich and Rhodes from Frankfurt, two attractive new islands will be added. In summer 2020, Lufthansa will thus be offering all sun-hungry passengers up to 14 weekly connections to five Greek islands in addition to flights to Athens and Thessaloniki. More than ever before.

New from Munich in detail

Zakynthos is the name of the new destination from Munich, which will be on the flight schedule for the first time from April 4, 2020. Lufthansa flies to the island in western Greece every Saturday with an Airbus A321. LH1762 takes off from Munich at 14:45 h and lands in Zakynthos at 18:00 h. The return flight LH1763 brings the holidaymakers back to Munich at 19:00 h. The landing at 20:25 h is ideal for connecting flights at home and abroad. A further weekly connection to Zakynthos will be added from June 3, 2020. An Airbus A320 will then take off every Wednesday at 15:45 h for Greece.

New from Frankfurt in detail

Also from 4 April, Lufthansa will be flying once a week from Frankfurt to Rhodes in south-eastern Greece. Every Saturday, a Lufthansa Airbus A320 with the flight number LH1258 takes off for Greece at 1 p.m. each day. The landing in Rhodes is scheduled for 17:10 h. LH1259 return flight will take off at 18:10 h, the landing in Frankfurt is planned for 20:30 h. From June 6 to September 15, 2020, another weekly service will be added. Rhodes will then be available every Tuesday. Departure is at 12:10 h.

Lufthansa names its first Airbus A321neo as “Aachen”

Lufthansa made this announcement:

The name of Lufthansa’s first Airbus A321neo is “Aachen”. Armin Laschet, Minister-President of the German federal state North Rhine-Westphalia and a native of Aachen, signed the naming certificate of the Airbus A321neo at Düsseldorf’s airport together with Carsten Spohr, CEO of Deutsche Lufthansa AG.

The state-of-the-art successor to the Airbus A321, the A321neo, uses up to 20 percent less fuel, is much quieter and emits significantly less CO2 than the previous model. By the year 2025, forty A321neo-model aircraft will have been delivered to the Lufthansa Group. Overall, the company will be welcoming a new airplane every two weeks on average for the next ten years.

“The Lufthansa Group invests almost three billion euros per year into new, fuel-efficient aircraft. That is the most powerful tool we currently have to make flying as climate-friendly as possible,” says Carsten Spohr, adding that the prerequisite for these enormous investments is that Germany remains internationally competitive: “Policy-makers have to create a framework that allows investments into the future and strengthens the country’s position as an air traffic location.”

The “Aachen” will be a flying ambassador for the city and its federal state. North Rhine-Westphalia, where the group employs around 5000 people, is an important location for Lufthansa. From the airports in Düsseldorf, Cologne/Bonn, Paderborn-Lippstadt and Münster/Osnabrück, the Lufthansa Group airlines connect the economic powerhouse of North Rhine-Westphalia with the whole world. Düsseldorf, with its densely populated and economically strong catchment area, is an important long-haul and short-haul airport for Lufthansa Group.

“This aircraft will carry the name “Aachen” to many cities throughout Europe. This will also make it an ambassador for the European idea embodied by Aachen and North Rhine-Westphalia,” said Minister-President Laschet. “At the same time, giving the aircraft the name ‘Aachen’ also pays tribute to a city that is above all the distinguished home of RWTH Aachen University and many research institutions and companies with innovative drive and a pioneering spirit in all areas of future-oriented mobility. As the state government, we also want to harness this pioneering spirit for the aviation sector and are therefore supporting the expansion of the airfield in Aachen-Merzbrück to a research airport where alternatives for low-noise flight can be tested along with the environmentally-friendly propulsion technologies of the future. Our aim is to make flying more sustainable with new technology, further strengthening the competitive position of the aviation sector in North Rhine-Westphalia.”

Lufthansa to fly Ljubljiana

Lufthansa made this announcement:

From its hub in Frankfurt, Lufthansa will operate twice a day offering 14 weekly connections to Ljubljana starting in the winter schedule on October 27, 2019.

The Lufthansa hub in Munich will follow by offering daily connections beginning on November 1, 2019.

Lufthansa prepares for Oktoberfest with flights featuring the biggest ‘Trachten’ crew of all time

Lufthansa has made this announcement:

Cabin crews in folk costume on A380 flights from Munich to Beijing and Los Angeles
Leberkäs’, pretzels and Weißwurst: Oktoberfest comes to the Lufthansa lounges

Just in time for the Oktoberfest in Munich, Lufthansa’s Trachten- crew is getting ready for takeoff. This year, the world’s largest crew in folk costume will take off in Lufthansa’s flagship Airbus A380 for the first time. A total of 21 Lufthansa flight attendants will be trading their uniforms for traditional Bavarian garb. The first Lufthansa ‘Trachten’ flight will take off from Munich on 23 September and head to Beijing while the flight on 3 October will be from Munich to Los Angeles. In addition to this, crews on a selection of European routes will also be taking off in traditional costume.

Lufthansa employees in traditional Bavarian clothing

The traditional costumes worn by Lufthansa’s long-haul crew were designed and tailored by Angermaier, a Munich-based specialist for traditional Bavarian clothing. The dirndls of the female flight attendants are dark blue with silver-gray aprons, while the men will be wearing short lederhosen with dark blue vests made of the same material as the dirndls. As in previous years, Lufthansa passengers can also experience the ‘Trachten’ flights on a selection of European routes from Munich. In September and October, a Lufthansa CityLine crew will be exchanging their uniforms for dirndls. Their flight destinations are Amsterdam, Lyon, Gdansk, Milan, Sofia, Brussels, Ancona, Belgrade, Warsaw, Cologne and Münster.

For Lufthansa’s passenger support staff in Munich’s Terminal 2, it has been a tradition for years now to welcome passengers in traditional costume during the Oktoberfest. In addition to the Lufthansa uniform, ladies may also wear dirndls and the gentlemen may wear traditional Trachten suits.

Oktoberfest in the Lufthansa lounges

Munich’s Lufthansa lounges are also prepared for the Oktoberfest. In the twelve lounges in Terminal 2 and the satellite building, over 4,000 kilograms of Leberkäs’ will be served, along with over 38,000 pretzels and approximately 750 kilograms of Weißwurst sausages. This year’s Oktoberfest menu in the festively decorated Lufthansa First Class lounges will start with Festtagssuppe, a traditional soup, followed by farmers’ duck and closing with homemade apple strudel served with vanilla sauce, roasted almonds and rum-soaked raisins. In the Senator and Business lounges, passengers will enjoy typical Bavarian dishes such as Leberkäs’, Fleischpflanzerl meatballs and quark mousse with plum topping.

Lufthansa to fly to Ottawa, Canada

Lufthansa made this announcement:

Starting on May 16, 2020, Lufthansa for the first time will be including the Canadian capital Ottawa in its flight schedule from Frankfurt. Ottawa is located in southeastern Canada and is a popular destination for both tourists and business travelers.

From Germany’s largest hub, Lufthansa will depart for the North American destination five times a week – on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. The flight LH472 will leave Frankfurt at 1.45 p.m. and arrive at its destination at 4.05 p.m. local time. The return flight LH473 will depart Ottawa at 5.50 p.m. and arrive in Frankfurt at 7.15 a.m. the next day. An Airbus A340-300 with a total of 279 seats on board will carry out the flight. The booking classes are Business Class, Premium Economy Class and Economy Class.

Ottawa will be the fourth Canadian city for Lufthansa to approach, in addition to Montréal, Toronto and Vancouver. Lufthansa flights from Munich to Montréal, Toronto and Vancouver complement the Canadian offer.

Photo: Ottawa Tourism.

Video:

Lufthansa will continue to be an official partner of Germany’s football association DFB

Lufthansa has made this announcement:

Lufthansa is continuing its commitment to football and has extended its partnership with the German football association Deutscher Fußball-Bund (DFB) until 2022. Lufthansa therefore remains an official partner of DFB. As the “official airline”, Lufthansa flies the players, coaches, staff and delegation members of the DFB team to international matches and tournaments. “We are delighted to continue our long-standing and good partnership with DFB. For many years now, it has been a special honor for us to fly the German national team to their major tournaments around the world,” said Markus Binkert, CCO of the Lufthansa Hub Munich and Senior Vice President Marketing. So far, the highlight of the long-standing partnership has been the flight of the Lufthansa “Fanhansa Siegerflieger” returning the national team to Germany from Brazil with the World Cup trophy after their 2014 win.

The contract guarantees Lufthansa extensive rights and marketing services from DFB, especially in the years featuring the European Football Championship and the World Cup, among other things.

Lufthansa has been cooperating with DFB for many years now and also has long-standing partnerships with the German sports aid foundation Stiftung Deutsche Sporthilfe as well as the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB). The company is also a co-sponsor of Germany’s National Paralympic Committee (DBS).

On the financial side, Lufthansa Group issued this statement:

The Lufthansa Group enjoyed a continuing strong performance in its long-haul business in the first half of 2019, particularly on its key North American and Asian routes. On short-haul routes in Europe, the price war in Germany and Austria in particular had a negative impact on earnings.

“Our earnings are feeling the effects of tough competition in Europe and sizeable overcapacities, especially on our short-haul routes out of Germany and Austria,” says Ulrik Svensson, Chief Financial Officer of Deutsche Lufthansa AG. “We are responding to this by further reducing our costs and increasing our flexibility. And with the turnaround plan which we recently presented, we also intend to make Eurowings a sustainably profitable airline.”

In the second quarter, Group revenues rose by 4 percent to EUR 9.6 billion (prior-year period: EUR 9.3 billion). Adjusted EBIT amounted to EUR 754 million (prior-year period: EUR 1 billion). The adjusted EBIT margin for the second quarter was thus 7.8 percent (prior-year period: 10.8 percent). Fuel costs alone were EUR 255 million higher in the second quarter of 2019 than in the previous year.

Top Copyright Photo (all others by Lufthansa): Lufthansa – Fanhansa Boeing 747-830 D-ABYI (msn 37833) (Fanhansa – Siegerflieger – “Winnersflyer”) LAX (Michael B. Ing). Image: 926823.

Lufthansa aircraft slide show:

Lufthansa expands Airbus A380 fleet in Munich

Starting in Summer 2020, Lufthansa will be taking off from Munich with two additional Airbus A380 aircraft. This will increase the Munich A380 fleet to a total of seven aircraft, with the remaining seven stationed in Frankfurt. Soon, Lufthansa passengers can experience the world’s largest commercial aircraft on five routes from Munich, including the addition of two new destinations served by the double decker. For the first time, Lufthansa will be operating the A380 to Boston and serving San Francisco with an A380 year-round. In addition to these routes, Los Angeles, Beijing and Shanghai are also on Munich’s A380 flight schedule for summer 2020.

Above Photo: Lufthansa.

“Since last March, the A380 has been operating very successfully from Munich. A few weeks ago, we welcomed the millionth A380 passenger on board in Munich. Our customers and our crews love the A380 experience. The flagship of our fleet is perfect for our 5-Star hub Munich. We will continue growing where quality and costs go hand in hand,” says Harry Hohmeister, Member of the Executive Board of Deutsche Lufthansa AG.

Currently, Lufthansa operates the Airbus A380 from Munich to Los Angeles, Beijing and Hong Kong. In the upcoming 2019/2020 Winter Schedule, the giant Airbus will operate to San Francisco, Miami and Hong Kong (until December 2019) as well as Shanghai (as of January 2020).

Above photo: Lufthansa.

The Airbus A380 has been the flagship of Lufthansa since 2010, with a fleet of 14 aircraft. As of summer 2020, seven will be stationed in Munich and seven in Frankfurt. The Airbus A380 is the world’s largest commercial aircraft – 24 meters high and almost 73 meters long. Thanks to a high proportion of composite materials, the A380 is 15 tons lighter and has a 50 percent lower noise level than comparable long-haul aircraft. Moreover, the A380 flies in and out of airports, at the same speed of an A320. All of these characteristics contribute to the reduction of aircraft noise in airport surrounding areas.

The A380 has 33 percent lower fuel consumption and correspondingly lower CO2 emissions than aircraft of the previous generation.

Top Copyright Photo: Lufthansa Airbus A380-841 D-AIMG (msn 069) MUC (Arnd Wolf). Image: 945768.

Lufthansa aircraft slide show:

Lufthansa to add two new destinations from Munich this winter

Lufthansa has made this announcement:

Lufthansa will be flying towards two new European destinations this winter. Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, will be offered from Munich for the first time, starting on November 4, 2019.

Newcastle in northeastern England will follow on February 3, 2020.

Both destinations will be served by an Airbus A319.

Tallinn (above), for example, features an impressive medieval old town: its historic center has been a UNESCO cultural heritage site since 1997. The capital of Estonia is considered one of the most beautiful medieval capitals of the Baltic and is the cultural center of the country. But Tallinn is also the economically strongest city in Estonia. Among other things, it is home to the largest banking sector in the Baltic states. Lufthansa will be flying to Estonia’s capital every Monday, Thursday and Saturday as of November 4.

Newcastle upon Tyne (above) is a significant industrial and transportation center in northeastern England. The city is also considered a stronghold of art and science. Newcastle is the ideal starting point for visits to a variety of national parks and for round trips through northern England. One special attraction is Alnwick Castle, which served as a location for a number of Harry Potter films. As of February 3, 2020, air travelers will be able to reach the English metropolis nonstop from Munich every day but Saturday.

Top Copyright Photo: Lufthansa Airbus A319-114 D-AILF (msn 636) (Star Alliance) ZRH (Rolf Wallner). Image: 927603.

Lufthansa aircraft slide show: