India is the first Asian country where Lufthansa will deploy its latest fleet member – the B747-800. The world’s newest aircraft will be deployed on Lufthansa’s direct Delhi - Frankfurt and Bengaluru - Frankfurt routes in the current summer schedule. Lufthansa is the launch customer for this aircraft, the first of which will connect Frankfurt and Washington from 1 June 2012 with six flights per week. New Delhi, Bengaluru, Chicago and Los Angeles will be added successively during the summer schedule with the arrival of four additional aircraft scheduled to join the Lufthansa fleet in 2012. The B747-800 is the latest member of Boeing’s 747 family, one of the most successful aircraft models in aviation history and for many of its passengers the “Queen of the Skies”.
 
“We are very proud that this summer we will offer Indian customers a brand new aircraft which is already legendary today. The B747-8 features many innovations, such as the new Lufthansa Business Class product which includes a seat that turns into a horizontal lie-flat bed,” says Axel Hilgers, Director South Asia of Lufthansa German Airlines. “The fact that we introduce the best products currently available on board of our long-haul fleet to India first shows the importance of this market for Lufthansa.”
 
The German flag carrier takes delivery of its first Boeing B747-8 on 2 May. Seats on the flights to Washington can be booked on Lufthansa.com and via other booking channels from today. Later this summer, Indian customers can travel on this aircraft all the way from Delhi and Bangalore to Washington, Chicago and Los Angeles, via Frankfurt.
 
The completely new aircraft is a rebirth of the legendary Jumbo-Jets by US manufacturer Boeing. The B747-8 not only features the latest upgrades of Lufthansa’s multiple award winning cabin and service features – a new, horizontal lie-flat Business Class seat, additional storage space and improved entertainment system - it also sets new standards in ecological and economic efficiency: Fuel efficiency improvements and CO2-emmission reductions per passenger are within the double digit percent range. Noise emissions could be reduced by 30 percent compared to the predecessor B747-400.
 
Lufthansa has introduced a special website www.lufthansa.com/747-8 to showcase its latest fleet member. It contains interesting information about the new “Queen of the skies” and Lufthansa’s latest product upgrades. Flights with the new aircraft can also be won in an exciting online game.