Lufthansa, the launch customer for the Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental passenger jet, initiated commercial passenger service of the new 747 model on June 1, 2012.
The inaugural revenue flight of the Lufthansa Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental was between Frankfurt Airport (FRA) and Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD).
Flight LH416 departed Frankfurt Airport at 9:50 a.m. and was scheduled to touch down at Dulles at 12:45 p.m. local time. The return flight, LH419, was scheduled to depart Washington Dulles International Airport at 5:55 p.m., arriving in Frankfurt at 8:05 a.m. the following day, local time.
Lufthansa, the launch customer for the Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental, initiated commercial passenger service of the new 747 model on June 1, 2012, with a revenue flight from Frankfurt Airport to Washington Dulles International Airport. This photograph shows the aircraft departing Frankfurt Airport on its inaugural commercial flight
Lufthansa’s newest aircraft type will initially provide service between the two cities six days a week (excluding Tuesdays), and will increase capacity on the route by 6.3 per cent. Flights are available for booking on www.lufthansa.com.
“The Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental is an exceptional aircraft,” said Christoph Franz, Chairman and CEO of Deutsche Lufthansa AG. “With its addition to our fleet, Lufthansa has created a product that is not only in line with our company’s commitment to innovation, technology and efficiency, but that also offers qualities and features that are sure to maximize our passengers’ in-flight experience.”
Franz added: “Travelers to and from Washington, D.C. are in for a memorable flight and Lufthansa looks forward to expanding our 747-8 Intercontinental service to other U.S. markets in the coming months.”
Lufthansa’s Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental is equipped with 362 seats in a three-class configuration (eight First Class, 92 Business Class and 262 Economy Class).
Boeing delivered the first 747-8 Intercontinental for an airline to Deutsche Lufthansa AG on April 25, 2012. (The manufacturer had previously delivered a Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental as a VIP aircraft, to the Qatar Amiri Flight, on February 28, 2012.) This photograph shows Lufthansa's first 747-8I during its first flight
The 747-8 Intercontinental features Lufthansa’s new Business Class cabin, which offers a unique seating arrangement in the form of a “V” whereby two neighboring seats are angled towards one another along a central axis.
According to Boeing, this solution enables Lufthansa to fulfill one of the main wishes expressed by customers during an extensive research process – to sit or lie facing the direction of travel, while at the same time enjoying virtually double the distance between two neighboring seats at shoulder level, which now gives Business Class passengers greater privacy and more personal space.
At the push of a button, the seat converts to a full-flat, horizontal sleeping surface measuring 6 feet 6 inches in length (1.98 meters). 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.
