Premiere: Airbus A380 Lands For The First Time In Hungary

“We are very pleased to be the first carrier who brings the ‘Giant of the Skies’ to Hungary today. It underlines the strategic importance of Hungary for Lufthansa as a market of long lasting presence and reliable operations. We would like to give the Hungarian public a glimpse of our state-of-the-art A380, including our brand new First Class, which is the latest addition to our A380 fleet, now consisting of eight aircraft,” said Ofer Kisch, General Manager Central Eastern Europe, Lufthansa Group.

“Last year we saw a steep increase in passengers resulting in over 250,000 passengers which represents a plus of nearly ten per cent. In this year we continue this positive trend with a 15 per cent rise in our passenger numbers. We are happy that our growing number of Hungarian customers confirms that travelling with Lufthansa stands for reliability and a high standard of innovative products and services. Just like our new flagship, the Airbus A380,” he added.

Jost Lammers, CEO of Budapest Airport has said on the arrival of the A 380 to Budapest: “This is a truly historic moment for Budapest Airport. Lufthansa – our biggest non-Hungarian airline partner – has yet again achieved a “first” status by bringing the largest passenger airplane in the world to Budapest. Lufthansa started operations between Budapest and Frankfurt on 24th August 1967 with a Boeing 727 jetliner.

Later Lufthansa was the first to bring the Boeing 747 to Budapest for the first time 15th June 1985. Now we welcome the Airbus A 380 in Budapest, showing the importance of Hungary for Germany both as a business partner and as a touristic destination. With our largest development project opened this spring, the SkyCourt terminal we deliver world-class service to the passengers of the dozen daily flights between Budapest and major German cities.”

“On a normal day, Lufthansa lands twelve times at Budapest Airport, but today, we are landing for the first time in Hungary with an Airbus A380. It is an amazing feeling to touch down here and see how well prepared Budapest is for our arrival,” added Werner Knorr, Lufthansa Chief Pilot.

Lufthansa has configured its Airbus A380 with 526 seats. The entirely new First Class cabin with eight generously proportioned seats on the upper deck reflects the concept of individuality and offers the ultimate in comfort and technical innovation, which further enhances the travel experience. Also on the upper deck is the award-winning Lufthansa Business Class cabin with 98 seats. On the main deck, 420 seats in an impressively spacious Economy Class cabin provide an unprecedented level of passenger comfort.

Sound-absorbing curtains partition off the rest of the cabin while special sound-insulating material in the aircraft’s outer skin and sound-absorbing carpeting block footstep noise and ensure the world’s quietest First Class cabin. The atmosphere soon lets passengers forget that they are travelling by air. Another important factor in customer comfort is the newly developed seat, which combines ergonomics and comfort and which can be extended to create the “best bed in its class”. Measuring 2.07 metres in length and 80 centimetres in width, the comfortable bed offers plenty of room, enabling passengers to enjoy deep, relaxing sleep.

The air humidification system -- the first of its kind to be installed on a commercial aircraft -- and the lighting concept, which adjusts according to the time of day, also contribute towards passengers’ well-being on board.
Lufthansa already received eight of its overall 17 ordered Airbus A380 and is serving the routes of Tokyo, Beijing, Johannesburg, New York, San Francisco and Miami with Singapore to be operated as of 30 October 2011."

Source: Budapest Airport