Lufthansa targets non-metro centres, starts with Pune-Frankfurt

Mumbai, May 5 (UNI) Lufthansa airlines today announced the introduction of six new non-stop flights between Pune and Frankfurt from July 1.

Addressing journalists here, Lufthansa's Munich hub Head (Hub Development and Capacity Management) Steffan Harbarth said the two countries have recently entered into a bilateral agreement to increase the flights from the present 50 to 69 by next year.

The Company is targeting non-metro cities, and Pune has been chosen because of its close proximity to the financial capital of the country.

The six new weekly flights will be operated by an Airbus A319, offering a total of 48 seats in an all business class configuration, he said.

Lufthansa also commenced its first ever non-stop service between the metropolis and Munich, with the arrival of Flight LH764 at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport yesterday.

Mr Harbarth said ''We are delighted to inaugurate the new non-stop service between Mumbai and Mun cich. The opening of this route provides passengers in Mumbai state-of-the-art facilities in our Munich hub, as well as ability to harness our extensive European network.'' Speaking on the occasion, Company Director South Asia Werner Heesen said ''India is increasingly gaining importance as a strategic growth marker for us. We are proud to boost our presence in the country by enhancing the business ties and further exchanges between the commercial and financial hubs of the two countries.

The departure and arrival times for the Mumbai-Munich flights have been coordinated so as to give passengers arriving in Munich the best possible choice of connecting flights to more than 110 destinations across Europe and beyond to United States, he said.

Giving details of their other expansion plans, Mr Heesen said that they would also be boosting the current services between Kolkata and Frankfurt from three to five flights in a week beginning from June 3.

Currently, Lufthansa offers flights between Delhi and Frankfurt, Delhi and Munich, Mumbai and Frankfurt, Chennai and Frankfurt, Bangalore and Frankfurt, Hyderabad and Frankfurt and Kolkata and Frankfurt.

In addition, its partner Swiss International Air Lines offers flights between Delhi and Zurich and Mumbai and Zurich.

UNI ST RN PDT RK1950