Angola lays out the Red Carpet for Lufthansa!
New flights from Frankfurt successfully launched
Official inaugural flight took place on April 15th - strengthening the airline’s route network in Africa
Welcome Lufthansa to Angola!
The touch down of the Lufthansa aircraft in Luanda marks the successful start of opening Lufthansa German Airline’s new route to Angola, a new destination on the Lufthansa route map.
“We are proud to announce this new nonstop connection between Angola and Germany. With this direct flight we are connecting Luanda to Germany, the strongest European economy. Our hub in Frankfurt offers excellent connections to Europe, the Americas and Asia”, Joachim Steinbach, Lufthansa Vice President Sales and Services Southeast Europe, Africa & Middle East/ Pakistan, said.
“This new non-stop connection is in line with the airline’s strategy of connecting oil producing countries to Germany and onwards to the Americas, Middle East and Asia. It will strengthen bilateral relations and further boost commercial ties between the two countries”, reiterated Joachim Steinbach, highlighting the remarkable reception the airline received upon its landing in Luanda. The Lufthansa delegation and guests of the inaugural flight LH 560 were welcomed by high ranking officials and dignitaries of Angola.
In a statement released at the inaugural ceremony at Frankfurt airport, the Lufthansa Vice President Sales and Services, Mr. Joachim Steinbach said: “We are proud to offer a three class product on our new route to Angola with First, Business and Economy Class operating the state-of-the-art Airbus A340-300. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the authorities and everyone involved in ensuring a smooth launch of the Lufthansa flights”, Joachim Steinbach said, underlined the tremendous support and cooperation received in Angola.
Reiterating the positive economic climate of Angola, Joachim Steinbach said that Angola opens excellent market opportunities for the airline. He further stated: “Our new nonstop connection will stimulate and increase commerce between the two partners Angola and Germany”. Angola’s economy is expected to grow by 17 per cent during the year 2008 and 2009 and has taken a steady growth path in the past years with a gross net product of approximately 47 billion USD in 2007. The country is the second biggest oil exporting country on the African continent and the oil boom of the recent years is said to continue. Driven by
investment in the energy sector, foreign direct investment inflows will average 1.8 billion USD per year till 2012, attracting a significant number of German companies which are currently present in the market.
The feedback from the market for the airline’s new route signals success: “With our sales and marketing activities in full swing, the response from our customers and business partners has been overwhelming,” Gabriel Leupold, Director Southern and Eastern Africa, Lufthansa German Airlines said.
Lufthansa is expecting a surge in business for the new Luanda-Frankfurt-Luanda route. “I am sure with the new Lufthansa presence, the marketing activities successfully initiated and all key personnel in place, passenger traffic will steadily grow,” Gabriel Leupold further said. Lufthansa has recently appointed Manfred Rosenthal as the new Lufthansa General Manager for Angola. He gained solid experience in Africa and Russia amongst others, and has already reported of positive and encouraging feedback on Lufthansa’s arrival in Angola.
To promote the new flights between Angola and Germany Lufthansa offers its passengers double mileage with its loyalty programme Miles & More from April 1st until 30th of June. Attractive airfares for leisure travellers in Economy Class start at 1.350 USD for flights to Europe. For corporate passengers in Business Class airfares start at 5.200 USD and in First Class start at 8.900 USD. With focus on the oil industry, Lufthansa offers in addition benefits through the oil & energyclub.
The new Lufthansa flight LH 561 operates on Wednesdays from Luanda to Frankfurt departing at 20:45 hrs arriving in Frankfurt at 06:10 hrs; the flight LH 560 leaves Frankfurt on Tuesdays at 20:50 hrs touching down in Luanda at 04:10 hrs (next day).
Lufthansa operates the Airbus A340-300, a state-of-the-art aircraft with a total of 221 seats; 8 seats in First Class, 48 in Business Class and 165 in Economy Class. The new flights can be booked online at www.lufthansa.com or by phone at (+244) 928 492 942.
