LUFTHANSA will upgrade
services out of SA later
this year, bringing the first
Boeing 747-8 to Africa. The
next-generation jumbo jet will
service the Johannesburg-
Frankfurt route at the start of
the winter schedule in October.
Known as the ‘Queen of the
Skies’, the Boeing 747-8 will
feature Lufthansa’s new firstand
business-class cabins
as well as the new premium
economy class. It will be
configured with eight first-class
seats, 80 in business class,
32 in premium economy and
244 economy-class seats.
The aircraft replaces the
A380 on the route, which
means fewer seats available
in economy (176 to be exact).
However, there would be a
higher number of upper-class
seats on the aircraft, which
was in line with current market
demands, the airline said.
“The four-class Boeing 747-8
is our most advanced long-haul
aircraft, bringing unparalleled
comfort and premium service
to our customers with the
most advanced, fuel-efficient
long-haul aircraft in the
Lufthansa fleet,” says Tamur
Goudarzi-Pour, Lufthansa vp
of sales and services for the
Middle East, Africa and South
Eastern Europe.
As it looks to strengthen its
position in the Western Cape,
Lufthansa will also extend its
Cape Town-Munich service.
The seasonal summer service
will now operate daily, using an
A340-600.
New routes planned for the
rest of the continent include
Nairobi as well additional
gateways for Brussels
Airlines in Accra (Ghana);
Kigali (Rwanda); Lomé
(Togo); Cotonou (Benin);
and Ouagadougou (Burkina
Faso).
