Lufthansa Selects Newark as First Boeing 787-9 Destination
The German airline will begin using its newest aircraft on its Frankfurt to Newark route from the beginning of December
Photo: Courtesy of Berlin Brandenburg Airport
Starting on December 1, Lufthansa will launch its brand-new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner on its daily route between Frankfurt (FRA) and Newark (EWR).
The German flag carrier has orders for 32 787-9 planes directly from Boeing, with the first jet scheduled for delivery in mid-2023. However, Lufthansa will operate the link to Newark with one of the five 787-9 planes it recently received from Hainan Airlines. The Asian carrier, going through bankruptcy proceedings, could not take delivery of the planes, redirecting them to the German carrier.
Photo: Courtesy of Lufthansa
The new ex-Hainan Dreamliners come equipped with a different cabin, as it was already fitted with a configuration destined for the Asian carrier. However, the new planes coming straight from Boeing will debut the airline’s new ‘Allegris’ cabin design, which features closed-door seats in Business Class with direct aisle access.
“With the Boeing 787, we are introducing another modern aircraft type that is one of the most fuel-efficient long-haul aircraft in our fleet,” said Lufthansa chief executive Jens Ritter. “This will allow us to significantly further improve the average CO2 balance. This aircraft is sustainable and offers customers a premium flying experience.”
Photo: Courtesy of Lufthansa
This first 787-9 has been christened ‘Berlin,’ after the city where the airline was founded in 1926. The airline’s CEO, Carsten Spohr, noted that naming the first Dreamliner after Berlin is mainly because “Lufthansa has been a strong partner of the German capital since its founding in Berlin in 1926. Since we were allowed to fly to Berlin again in 1990, no other airline has brought more travelers to the region.”
Beginning October 19, the plane will be flown three times per day between Frankfurt and Munich on crew training flights. These short hops will allow crews to familiarize themselves with the aircraft before long-haul service begins in Newark in December.
Photo: Courtesy of Lufthansa
The flight between Frankfurt and Newark will take nine hours and 10 minutes, departing at 1:30 pm and landing at 4:40 pm local time. Journeys the other way will take seven hours and 35 minutes, taking off at 6:20 pm and landing at 7:55 am Frankfurt time the following day.
Toronto had been penciled in as Lufthansa’s first 787-9 destination and will likely now be the second route for the model.
