15 Of The Super Jumbos Have Been Ordered By The German Carrier

Lufthansa has taken delivery of the first of 15 Airbus A380s ordered, with three more to join the fleet in 2010. Lufthansa will deploy its new flagship aircraft on routes to Tokyo, Beijing and Johannesburg.

During the handover ceremony in Hamburg, Lufthansa unveiled its new First Class cabin with eight generous seats on the upper deck. The upper deck is also equipped with 98 Business seats while the spacious main deck hosts 420 Economy Class seats offering a unique feeling of comfort and space. Lufthansa's A380s are powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engines.

"With the A380 Lufthansa today receives its new flagship. The A380 is the most modern and environmentally friendly airliner today. It's also exceptionally quiet, and that will make the A380 the preferred aircraft at metropolises such as London, New York, Tokyo and of course Frankfurt airport. While Lufthansa passengers will enjoy more space in all classes and the unique cabin comfort, the airline will profit from the unprecedented efficiency of the A380," said Airbus President and CEO Tom Enders. "I thank Lufthansa for the excellent co-operation during the design and certification process of the A380."

From the beginning of the A380 program, Lufthansa and Airbus have worked closely on the aircraft design through to certification. Between 2005 and 2010 the A380 underwent several airport compatibility tests at Lufthansa's home base in Frankfurt. In cabin safety evacuation tests, Lufthansa cabin crews successfully evacuated 873 people in just 78 seconds. Lufthansa was also a major partner during initial ground based 'virtual' flights and on the first real long-range route proving flights.

"Passengers can look forward to a very special flight experience on board the A380," Wolfgang Mayrhuber, Chairman and CEO of Deutsche Lufthansa said at the handover. "In cooperation with Airbus, we have developed many technical solutions regarding the cabin design and furnishings which are being given a world premiere in this aircraft. Our pilots, technicians and service professionals have undergone intensive training and are thoroughly prepared for this new dimension in flying. They are all as excited about this aircraft as our passengers, who are now booking flights specifically with the A380."

FMI: www.lufthansa.com, www.airbus.com