526 seats in state-of-the-art cabin; aircraft to be named “Frankfurt am Main”
The delivery of Lufthansa’s first Airbus A380 marks the dawn of a new era in flying for the airline’s passengers. Airbus President and CEO Thomas Enders handed over the aircraft to Lufthansa at an official ceremony at the Airbus plant in Hamburg-Finkenwerder, which was attended by about 700 honorary guests.
“Passengers can look forward to a very special flight experience on board the A380,” Wolfgang Mayrhuber said at the handover. “In cooperation with Airbus, we have developed many technical solutions regarding the cabin design and furnishings which are being given a world premiere in this aircraft. Our innovations in terms of cabin air, light systems, sound insulation and inflight entertainment make our A380 unique. Our pilots, technicians and service professionals have undergone intensive training and are thoroughly prepared for this new dimension in flying. They are all as excited about this aircraft as our passengers, who are now booking flights specifically with the A380. I would particularly like to emphasize that it offers unique comfort combined with the highest degree of eco-efficiency. Due to its specific fuel consumption of three litres per passenger per 100 kilometres and thanks to its quiet Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engines, which have very low noise emissions, the A380 is also setting new standards in terms of environmental compatibility.”
The brand new Lufthansa A380 took off from Hamburg on its ferry flight to Frankfurt with about 500 guests and 22 crew members on board. It landed for the first time in Frankfurt, where Lufthansa’s A380 fleet will be stationed. A large reception for the Lufthansa flagship was held in Lufthansa Technik’s new A380 maintenance hangar – the largest hangar in Europe – which accommodated 2,000 guests for the special occasion. In the evening, Frankfurt’s mayor, Petra Roth, christened the first Lufthansa A380 “Frankfurt am Main”.
Lufthansa has configured its Airbus A380 with 526 seats. The entirely new First Class cabin with eight generously proportioned seats on the upper deck reflects the concept of individuality and offers the ultimate in comfort and technical innovation, which further enhances the travel experience. Also on the upper deck is the award-winning Lufthansa Business Class cabin with 98 seats. On the main deck, 420 seats in an impressively spacious Economy Class cabin provide an unprecedented level of passenger comfort.
Numerous airports worldwide are currently upgrading their facilities in preparation for the A380’s arrival. At Frankfurt Airport, where the Lufthansa A380 fleet will be based, facilities are already in place for passengers to board and disembark from the aircraft on two levels.
The German national football team will have an opportunity to savour the A380 experience on a special flight with the new aircraft when it takes off from Frankfurt on Sunday, 6 June bound for Johannesburg, where the World Cup will be held. The following Tuesday, 8 June, the Lufthansa flagship will be on display during the opening day of the ILA Berlin Air Show at Berlin-Schönefeld. The A380 will enter scheduled service with Lufthansa on Friday, 11 June on the Frankfurt–Tokyo route. By this spring, Lufthansa will have taken delivery of four A380s, which will be operated on routes to Beijing and Johannesburg.
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