Lufthansa and Boeing celebrate delivery of first Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental in Seattle

Lufthansa Flagship aircraft features Lufthansa’s newest in-flight products in every class – Initial routes focus on United States and India

Toronto, ON, May 2, 2012 – Lufthansa officially received delivery of the first Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental passenger aircraft yesterday, May 1, 2012.  Lufthansa is the first airline to operate Boeing’s new Jumbo jet, which is one of the carrier’s flagship aircraft, marking yet another milestone in the more than half century partnership between the two industry leaders. The official handover took place during a ceremony at Boeing’s Everett, WA, facility outside of Seattle, where Carsten Spohr, CEO of Lufthansa German Airlines; Pat Shanahan, senior vice president, Airplane Programs, Boeing Commercial Airplanes and more than 100 company executives, employees, media and local dignitaries gathered to celebrate the momentous occasion.

“We are excited and thrilled to welcome the 747-8 Intercontinental to our fleet. With its lower noise, lower fuel burn and lower emissions, the 747-8 Intercontinental will help us meet our strategy of environmental protection and sustainability, underpinned by investment in innovation. And our passengers will love the new interior, which includes our all-new full-flat business-class cabin,” said Carsten Spohr.

Later in the day, the new aircraft was flown to Lufthansa’s Frankfurt base, where it is being prepared to enter service in just one month, on June 1st. The inaugural route will be Frankfurt (FRA) to Washington, D.C.’s Dulles International Airport (IAD) with flight LH 418/419.  Later this year, Los Angeles, Chicago O’Hare, New Delhi and Bangalore will be added to the route network.

“We are very proud and pleased that Lufthansa is the airline launch customer for the 747-8 Intercontinental,” said Boeing’s Pat Shanahan. “Lufthansa has been a trusted partner for many years and has contributed greatly to making the 747 a truly beloved airplane around the world. We are excited for Lufthansa’s passengers to experience the incredible new Intercontinental — it is truly a Queen of the Skies for the 21st Century.”

Lufthansa currently has 20 Boeing 747-8s on order and is expected to take delivery of five more this year. “This investment by Lufthansa is a significant contribution to U.S. exports, bolstering our National Export Initiative and sustaining U.S. jobs in innovation and manufacturing by showcasing the excellence of The Boeing Company as a global leader in aerospace. I applaud this vital and successful partnership,” said Francisco J. Sanchez, Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade.

The Boeing 747-8 is a brand new aircraft designed on the well-tested base of the 747-400. It features new state-of-the-art wings with improved aerodynamics and raked wing tips; new fuel-efficient, U.S.-manufactured GEnx-2B engines that contribute to a reduction in fuel burn, emissions and noise and thus give airlines the lowest operating costs and best economics of any large passenger airplane; and fly-by-wire technology.

The aircraft generates a 30 percent smaller noise footprint than the 747-400 and brings double-digit improvements in fuel efficiency and CO2 emissions per passenger, making it one of the industry’s most fuel-efficient aircraft and key to Lufthansa’s commitment to sustainable reduction of carbon dioxide emissions.  The 747-8 fuselage is 250 feet 2 inches long, which is 18 feet 4 inches longer than the 747-400. Lufthansa will operate the 747-8 with a configuration of 362 seats (8 First Class, 92 Business Class and 262 Economy Class). The stretch also provides Lufthansa with 26 percent more cargo volume.

Brand new Business Class product with innovative “V” seating concept

The aircraft interior includes a new curved, upswept architecture that gives passengers a greater feeling of space and comfort, while adding more room for personal belongings. In addition, passengers of the Lufthansa 747-8 Intercontinental will enjoy the carrier’s most up-to-date cabins in all three classes, and will be among the first to experience the airline’s new Business Class product, including a completely redesigned seat that meets the comfort and privacy desires expressed by customers during an extensive research process. At the push of a button, the seat converts to a full-flat, horizontal sleeping surface measuring 6’6” in length (1.98 m). Ergonomically improved cushioning ensures a high degree of comfort in a sitting or horizontal position, and adjustable armrests provide more space in the shoulder area when lying down.

Another unique attribute of the new Business Class cabin is the innovative seating arrangement in the form of a “V” whereby two neighboring seats are angled towards one another along a central axis. This solution enables Lufthansa to fulfill one of the main wishes expressed by customers – to sit or lie facing the direction of travel, while at the same time enjoy virtually double the distance between two neighboring seats at shoulder level, which now gives Business Class passengers greater privacy and more personal living space.

The public can track the progression of the 747-8 into Lufthansa’s service via a dedicated 747-8 micro site that showcases product features along with 3-D models of the aircraft and interactive games.

For images and footage, please visit:

http://konzern.lufthansa.com/en/themen/boeing-747-8.html

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.

-30-