Lufthansa is now flying the Boeing 747-8I to LAX from Frankfurt. Photo by Brandon Farris / AirlineReporter.com.
This week Lufthansa Airlines (LH) upgraded its Frankfurt (FRA) to Los Angeles (LAX) route by swapping it from the 747-400
to the 747-8 Intercontinental. Los Angeles becomes the second US
Destination to be served by the aircraft, fourth overall and first
destination on the west coast. Lufthansa is currently the only 747-8I
operator in the world
“The selection of Los Angeles for our new flagship aircraft
demonstrates the market’s critical importance for Lufthansa, which has
had a presence in Southern California since 1960,” said Juergen
Siebenrock, Vice President, The Americas for Lufthansa. “The FRA-LAX
route connects the world’s two largest and most influential consumer
markets for entertainment products- Hollywood and Germany. LAX is also
an active gateway for pharmaceutical, IT, automotive industry and
defense contractor industries, all of which are important customer
segments for Lufthansa.”
When I arrived at LAX, you could tell that there was excitement in
the air. At the LH ticket counter there was a gigantic sunrise colored
Boeing 747-8I model. Standing next to the model were some people from
Boeing. They joked and gave me a hard time about my LH A380 tag on
my bag from the A380 launch last year at San Francisco — oh well.
After I received my badge I was allowed to proceed to TSA where, even
though we weren’t flying, they still wanted to put everyone through the
body scanner. I politely opted out where I was able to enjoy a nice
pat-down.
Lufthansa’s Boeing 747-8I (D-ABYA) at LAX. Photo by Brandon Farris / AirlineReporter.com.
At Gate 123, where the event took place, Lufthansa put on an amazing
spread for everyone to snack on, from roast beef to smoked salmon,
pretzels and little cookie airplanes that said Lufthansa 747-800. During
the celebration, we received word that the aircraft was running a
little late due to snow in Frankfurt, but nothing could wipe off the
smile off my face.
As soon as stepping outside, we all looked up and noticed that the
748 was on downwind to land and at around 13:10 PST she touched down in
LAX for the first time. Applause broke out from all of the VIP’s on hand
while other members of the media clicked away as D-ABYA, named
“Brandenburg,” threw her reverse thrusters on and came quickly to a
halt. As she taxied to the gate, the LAX fire department completed a
water canon salute and after parking at the gate, we headed back inside
to listen to some of the invited guests speak.
After the speeches, it was time to board the plane. My heart raced
with excitement as this was only the second 747 that I have ever stepped
foot on. Once on board we were told we had about 7 to 10 minutes before
they had to prepare the aircraft for its departure. It was a little bit
of a mad rush to get through the airplane, I sadly missed the first
class cabin, but managed to get upstairs which was one of my goals.
Sadly the flight deck door was closed, so I wasn’t able to see the all
new advancements.
The 747-8I adds an extra 18 seats for the daily flight that will help
increase capacity by 17% overall. First class is configured 1-1 with
the exception of the last row that is 1-2-1, business class is 2-2-2 and
coach is 3-4-3. The new product on the LH 747-8I is the business class
lie flat seat; there are 92 of these on board the -8.
“We integrated our customers very closely into the development of our
new Business Class so we would be able to offer a product that was
totally in line with their wishes and requirements,” said Jens Bischof,
member of the Lufthansa German Airlines Board.
The aircraft generates a 30% smaller noise footprint that the 747-400
and brings double digit improvements in fuel efficiency and CO2
emissions per passenger. This makes it one of the industry’s most
fuel-efficient aircraft and key to Lufthansa’s commitments to
sustainable reduction of carbon emissions. The 747-8I fuselage is 253ft
2in long which is 18ft 4in longer than the 747-400. This allows LH to
carry 26% more cargo volume.
The aircraft also features an all new state-of-the-art wing for the
747 with improved aerodynamics and raked wing tips: all new fuel
efficient General Electric GEnx-2B engines
that contribute to a reduction in fuel burn, emissions and noise and
thus giving customers the lowest operating costs and best economics of
any large passenger airplane: and fly-by-wire technology.
It was hard getting off the plane, but I hope to be back on one soon enough.
Written By Brandon Farris
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