First Lufthansa Boeing 747-8 flight lands at Hong Kong

The first Lufthansa Boeing 747-8 flight from Frankfurt to Hong Kong landed at Hong Kong International Airport today. Hong Kong becomes the first East-Asian and the fifth destination worldwide to welcome the new Queen of the Skies, the all new 21st century version of Boeing’s legendary 747 Jumbo Jet.

Andrew Bunn, General Manager Hong Kong, Taiwan and South China of Lufthansa German Airlines welcomed the first B747-8 passenger flight to touch down in Hong Kong, “We are happy to be the first airline to bring the new-generation Boeing 747-8 to Hong Kong. We are especially pleased to be able to offer our passengers the latest onboard products available on the Lufthansa fleet.  Hong Kong is a market of greatest importance to Lufthansa and this move will further strengthen our competitive position.” says Mr Bunn.

The new aircraft features Lufthansa’s all new Business Class which includes a seat that can be converted at the press of a button into a horizontal sleeping surface measuring 1.98 meters in length. The new seat offers exceptional comfort for passengers in a sitting or recumbent position, intuitive adjustment features, additional storage space and enhanced entertainment system.

The Boeing 747-8 is a completely new aircraft that builds upon the positive features of the legendary Boeing 747 series, Lufthansa’s long-haul workhorse for more than 40 years. The aircraft’s wings have significantly improved aerodynamics and newly developed wingtips. The aircraft also provides tangible improvements in terms of eco-efficiency. The GEnx-2B engines consume less fuel and achieve a 15 per cent improvement in fuel efficiency and CO2 emissions per passenger. In addition, noise emissions have been reduced by 30 per cent. To date, Lufthansa has ordered a total of 19 Boeing 747-8 aircraft. The Boeing 747-8 is the world’s longest aircraft: 76.3 metres long, 5.6 metres longer than its predecessor, the Boeing 747-400. The new Lufthansa Jumbo can seat 386 passengers: eight in First Class, 80 in Business Class and 298 in Economy Class.

Lufthansa has daily flights from Hong Kong to Frankfurt and to its southern hub in Munich. Lufthansa Group Airline SWISS connects Hong Kong daily with its Zurich hub.

Lufthansa Group is the leading European Airline Group in China and partner of national carrier Air China. Lufthansa has a long standing tradition in this market and is active in all major business segments of the industry in China. Together with Chinese partners Lufthansa is engaged in various successful joint-ventures, such as Ameco Beijing in the MRO sector and many others. Lufthansa was the first European Airline to introduce the A380 in the Chinese market.

Sourced: etravelblackboardasia