Lufthansa Ferries An Airbus A380 To Munich Via Leipzig Ahead Of June Return To Service
The aircraft is preparing to return to active passenger operations this June with its return to Boston and New York JFK airports.
German flag carrier Lufthansa’s first reactivated Airbus A380 is taking its first steps. The aircraft is returning to service in advance of its upcoming summer launch in Boston and New York City. The nine-year-old aircraft, D-AIMK, left its desert storage location for Frankfurt in December and has been undergoing upgrades and maintenance since.
Ferried to Munich via Lepsig
The airline’s first Airbus A380 to return left Frankfurt Airport at 08:30 this morning, April 12th. The flight, LH9916, embarked on a trip to Munich via an interesting stopover. After departing Frankfurt, the plane flew for just over half an hour before arriving in the skies above Leipzig, where it circled for two hours before landing. The Airbus touched down at 11:12 and remained on the ground for over half an hour.
At 11:49, the jetliner once again departed for Munich International Airport. After flying south for just forty-two minutes, the plane arrived at Lufthansa’s southern base at half past noon.
The superjumbo is due to re-enter service on June 1st. Following a three-year interruption, Lufthansa will resume regular operations with daily flights from Munich to Boston Logan International Airport (BOS). The flight will operate as LH424 and arrive before the July 4th weekend.
Service to New York will recommence from July 4th itself, with flight number LH410. The A380 will take off daily from Munich to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK).
A boost of premium seats.
Due to the significant increase in demand for airline tickets and the delayed delivery of ordered aircraft, Lufthansa decided to reactivate the Airbus A380, which is particularly popular with passengers and crews. By resuming the A380 flights from Munich International, Lufthansa is expanding its premium offering at its southern hub, especially with additional business and first class seats.
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Lufthansa’s A380s seat 509 passengers. The double-decker has around 80% more capacity than the Airbus A340-600 currently flying on the Munich to New York (JFK) route. Dirk Janzen, Vice President of Passenger Sales for The Americas at Lufthansa Group Airlines, highlighted Lufthansa’s continuing commitment to the market:
“The strategic placement of Lufthansa’s A380 aircraft on various U.S. routes emphasizes the level of commitment that the Lufthansa Group has towards the United States.
“Furthermore, now the seat capacity and premium experience for our passengers flying to Munich out of these two gateways will be increased to another level.”
Lufthansa’s configuration offers four classes on its transatlantic flights. Eight passengers may sit in first class, followed by 78 seats in business class, 52 in Premium Eco, and 371 in economy class. The airline has confirmed it will deploy four A380 aircraft from Munich by the end of the year, a limited return for now.
Are you excited to see the Lufthansa A380 back in the skies? Let us know in the comments!
