Lufthansa passengers travelling between Delhi and Frankfurt will soon fly in unprecedented comfort and style in the most recent aircraft to enter service worldwide. From 6 August, 2012, Lufthansa is going to serve this route (LH 760/1) with its latest global fleet member: the Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental ( B747-8). As global launch customer for this completely new aircraft, the airline chose India as second market worldwide for the all-new “Queen of the Skies”.  The arrival of the B747-8 also turns India into the Asian launch market for Lufthansa’s sophisticated new Business Class, which includes a seat that converts into a 6.5 feet long, horizontal sleeping surface.
 
“Choosing India as launch-pad for our latest two products in Asia underlines this market’s importance in our global network as well as our commitment to grow here”, explains Lufthansa South Asia Director Axel Hilgers. “With the B747-8 and our brand new Business Class, we are offering Indian customers exceptional travel comfort. These investments will further strengthen Lufthansa’s position in the core market that is India.”
 
The B747-8 is configured with 8 First Class, 92 Business Class and 262 Economy Class seats. It will replace the Boeing 747-400 – affectionately nicknamed “Queen of the Skies” by generations of travellers – currently serving the Frankfurt – Delhi route. During the course of this year, Lufthansa will also introduce the new aircraft on its Frankfurt – Bengaluru route.
 
More on the new Lufthansa Business Class with full lie-flat bed
The new Lufthansa Business Class offers exceptional comfort in a sitting or horizontal position, with intuitive adjustments, additional storage space and an enhanced entertainment system. Another novelty is the innovative “V”-shaped seating arrangement: Two neighboring seats are angled towards one another along a central axis. This solution enabled Lufthansa to virtually double the distance between two neighboring seats at shoulder level, which gives Business Class passengers greater privacy.
 
Back in 2007, Lufthansa conducted a survey of more than 500 frequent flyers in order to develop a seat that meets the most discerning demands with regards to seating and sleeping comfort. The result of this survey is the new Business Class seat with ergonomically improved cushioning to ensure a high degree of comfort as well as adjustable armrests that provide more space in the shoulder area when lying down. Each sitting or horizontal position can be adjusted individually and continuously at the push of a button. Also, each passenger has more surfaces to place their personal items and additional storage compartments on the actual seat.
 
More on Lufthansa’s B747-8 aircraft and global network
The B747-8 is a completely new aircraft that builds upon the positive features of the Boeing 747 series, which has served Lufthansa’s long-haul routes for more than 40 years.
 
The significantly improved aerodynamics of the wings, newly developed wingtips and GEnx-2B engines achieve a 15% improvement in fuel efficiency and CO₂ emissions per passenger and a 30% reduction in noise emissions.
 
Since the beginning of June, Lufthansa’s first B747-8 has been deployed on the Frankfurt-Washington route. The aircraft which will serve the Frankfurt – Delhi route is the second B747-8 to join Lufthansa’s fleet and its delivery was taken a few days ago. Before this aircraft, which bears the registration D-ABYC, enters service to India on 6 August 2012, final touches will be added at the aircraft’s home base Frankfurt.
 
A further two B747-8 aircraft are scheduled for delivery in 2012. Among the destinations that Lufthansa will serve with these new aircraft is Bengaluru. Lufthansa has ordered a total of 20 B747-8.
 
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