Lufthansa will return its Airbus A380 to Delhi next summer in order to satisfy the high demand for flights to India. In 2014, the airline first flew the A380 to Delhi.
The return of the A380 is part of Lufthansa’s larger expansion plan in India, which also involves the addition of new flights between Bengaluru and Munich in November and between Frankfurt and Hyderabad in January 2024.
Lufthansa is also enhancing its Mumbai service by temporarily substituting the current aircraft with a more fuel-efficient Boeing 787-9, enabling for a weekly capacity increase to Mumbai.
Lufthansa has announced the return of the Airbus A380 to Delhi next summer in response to the airline’s high passenger demand for flights to India. The airline has resumed serving the Indian market at pre-COVID levels, and the superjumbo’s additional capacity will help satisfy the growing demand for travel between the two countries.
Lufthansa recently celebrated 60 years of operations in New Delhi on September 1st, and to commemorate the occasion, the airline announced its intention to reinstate Airbus A380 service to the Indian capital during the summer of 2024.
Lufthansa began flying the A380 to Delhi in 2014, but the service was discontinued in 2019. The COVID pandemic hampered the likelihood of the superjumbo’s return to India, but as international travel recovers, the A380 is making a revival. Elise Becker, vice-president of Asia-Pacific for Lufthansa Group Airlines, is quoted in The Hindu as stating,
“India opened very early [post COVID-19] and in a very good way; we are at 100% recovery versus 2019 in India. It is also one of the few markets where we will see more frequencies than in 2019 by the end of the year. In India, we are in a stable and strong demand situation.”
More A380s have been reactivated:
During the pandemic, the unit was severely damaged. The majority of double-decker aircraft operators suspended the type, and several obituaries were published. Even though it has not entirely recovered, many airlines are gradually bringing it out of storage.
Lufthansa is reactivating five additional A380s, with additional reactivations scheduled over the next two years. The first A380 flight operated by the German flag carrier after the pandemic commenced between Munich and Boston in June. This was followed immediately by flights to New York. Additionally, Los Angeles and Bangkok will receive A380 service later this year.
Developing in India:
The A380’s return to Delhi is part of Lufthansa’s broader expansion strategy in India. In November, it will begin service between Bengaluru and Munich, and in January 2024, between Frankfurt and Hyderabad.
The new services (5 weekly Bengaluru-Munich flights and thrice weekly Hyderabad-Frankfurt flights) will increase Lufthansa’s weekly flights to India from 56 to 64. With a vast network in India, the Lufthansa Group employs over a thousand people in the country.
The Lufthansa service to Mumbai will also be upgraded in the coming months. From late October to mid-January of next year, the airline’s current aircraft on the Frankfurt-Mumbai route, the Airbus A340-300, will be replaced by the more fuel-efficient and modern Boeing 787-9.
This will enhance its weekly passenger capacity to Mumbai from an estimated 1,953 to 2,058. This arrangement will be transient, as Lufthansa will replace the Dreamliner with its Boeing 747-400 aircraft from January 14.
