Lufthansa Names Flagship A380 “New York”
Name-giving ceremony in New York City
– A380 service to/from JFK – FRA resumes May 21
Toronto, ON, March 30, 2012 – Today, Christoph Franz, Lufthansa Chairman of the Executive Board and CEO and Seth Pinsky, President of the New York City Economic Development Corporation, officially named one of Lufthansa’s flagship A380 aircraft as “New York.” The Lufthansa Airbus with the registration D-AIMH becomes the airline’s first A380 to be named after a U.S. city. In keeping with tradition, Christoph Franz presented Seth Pinsky with a model of the airline’s flagship aircraft and a certificate commemorating the celebratory name-giving. New York became Lufthansa’s first A380 destination in the U.S. on February 28, 2011. On May 21, 2012, the airline will resume its daily A380 service between New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and Frankfurt.
“This day was long overdue in terms of honoring and celebrating Lufthansa’s great relationship with the Big Apple. Today we dedicate one of our most advanced and modern aircraft to the city of New York, its citizens and its business community,” said Christoph Franz.
“We want to thank Lufthansa for not only increasing their capacity by 10% by bringing their incredible A380 service to JFK, but also for honoring us as the first U.S. city to have a plane with our name on it in their fleet. We are confident that the “New York” will serve as a great ambassador for our city around the world,” said NYCEDC President Seth W. Pinsky.
Beginning in 1955 when Lufthansa began daily operations from Germany to New York with a Super Constellation L1049, the more than half century partnership has thrived with now nearly 700,000 New Yorkers onboard Lufthansa flights per year and close to one million inbound guests visiting New York via Lufthansa. The A380 aircraft has much to do with these numbers in that it provides New York City’s tourism and business industries with ten percent more capacity between New York and Germany, and also brings in ten percent more inbound visitors. Lufthansa has also been an important component of the local business community in that the company employs 1,660 jobs in New York City and its surrounding communities (including Nassau County and Newark, NJ).
The custom of naming a plane is a long-standing tradition amongst airlines worldwide. Lufthansa started this custom in 1960 when it began giving its jets the names of German cities. With the introduction of its new flagship, certain Lufthansa A380 aircraft bear the names of some of the air carrier’s most important international gateway cities, thus starting a new tradition. “New York” is the airline’s sixth aircraft to be named after a foreign mega-city. The name—New York—will be on the livery of the plane and a plaque in the aircraft’s entry area will welcome passengers onboard all across the world.
Most fuel-efficient aircraft
The Airbus A380 is the world’s most fuel-efficient aircraft, burning about 12 percent less fuel than other wide-body jets, and is approximately 30 percent quieter than the current generation of wide-body aircraft.
Lufthansa’s A380 is configured with 526 seats and features the airline’s new First Class product. Located on the upper deck, the First Class cabin is the quietest in commercial aviation and boasts an air humidification system – the first of its kind to be installed on a commercial aircraft – that improves air humidity to help fight off jet lag. The cabin’s eight generously proportioned, ergonomic seats measure 6’9” feet in length and 2’7” feet in width and provide the ultimate in comfort and innovation for an exceptional travel experience. Also located on the upper deck is the award-winning Business Class cabin with 98 seats featuring improved functionality. The main deck is home to an impressively spacious Economy Class cabin. Each of its 420 seats features an in-seat video screen, an optimized ergonomic design and a slimmer seat back that adds two inches of personal space per passenger.
More information about Lufthansa’s A380 can be found on the Internet at www.lufthansa.com/A380.
About Lufthansa
One of the world’s largest and most prestigious airlines, Lufthansa currently flies to 211 destinations in
84 countries, with hubs in Frankfurt, Munich, and with the Lufthansa Group acquisition of Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines and SWISS – Vienna, Brussels and Zurich. From its 21 North American gateways, Lufthansa— recently voted by Fortune as one of the five most admired airlines in the world— and its partners serve over 450 destinations in more than 120 countries. An industry innovator, Lufthansa has long been committed to environmental care and sustainability, operating the most technologically-advanced and fuel-efficient fleet in the world. Its long-haul fleet to and from North America includes the Boeing 747-400, as well as the Airbus A300 sub fleet. Currently, Lufthansa has over 160 new aircraft worth about $22 billion on order. Lufthansa is the largest European operator of the A380 and is also the launch customer for the new Boeing 747-8, the industries’ two most fuel-efficient passenger aircraft. Known for its premium services, Lufthansa continues its $105 million program earmarked for building new or upgrading existing lounge facilities across its worldwide network and will spend more than $3.6 billion in new onboard products and services by 2015. In 2010, Lufthansa re-launched its broadband wireless Internet service onboard, FlyNet. For more information or reservations, visit www.lufthansa.com.
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