First Lufthansa Boeing 747-8 arrives in Frankfurt
The new Queen of the Skies has arrived in Frankfurt. Lufthansa has now become the first airline in the world to take delivery of a Boeing 747-8.
After the handover at Boeing's manufacturing facility in Everett, Washington, the new "Jumbo" with the registration D-ABYA performed a touch and go at Hamburg Airport, where Lufthansa Technik is based, before flying on to its future home base in Frankfurt, where it landed safely.
On June 1, the world's first passenger flight with a Boeing 747- 8 aircraft will depart from Frankfurt as flight LH 418 bound for Washington Dulles International Airport in Washington DC.
"We are looking forward to welcoming the Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental to our long-haul fleet," Lufthansa executive board member Carsten Spohr said at the large reception held at Frankfurt Airport.
“In future we will offer our passengers on board this completely newly developed long- haul aircraft an exclusive travel experience and the comfort of our new Business Class. The Boeing 747- 8 is characterised by lower noise emissions, lower fuel consumption and significantly reduced CO2 emissions. That enables us to combine maximum comfort with sustainability,” said Spohr.
"We are proud to celebrate this important milestone together with Lufthansa, our partner of more than 50 years and the launch customer for the new 747-8 Intercontinental," said Elizabeth Lund, vice president and general manager 747, Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
" Lufthansa has contributed greatly to this new and efficient aircraft. And Lufthansa passengers will experience a new level of comfort on the 747- 8 Intercontinental, which is truly the Queen of the Skies for the 21st century."
When the new 747-8 enters scheduled service on June 1, Lufthansa passengers will have their first opportunity to experience the new Business Class.
The new seat offers exceptional comfort for passengers in a sitting or recumbent position, intuitive adjustment features, additional storage space and an individual entertainment system with much larger, 15-inch screens.