Onboard the inaugural flight was Lufthansa’s CEO, Jens Ritter, who symbolically cut the ribbon in to commemorate this exciting new route.
“It is my first time in Johannesburg, and I’m truly amazed by this incredible welcome to celebrate this milestone connection between South Africa and Munich, said Jens Ritter, CEO of Lufthansa Airlines.
“We are so happy to relaunch our services after a 19-year hiatus. If I remember correctly, it was in October 2005 when we last used to offer flights between Johannesburg and Munich. It marks a significant addition to Lufthansa’s network, with 34% more seats offered from Johannesburg.
“Munich, with its award-winning airport, is a popular and beautiful city in the heart of Europe. It is also a convenient hub to take advantage of numerous onward flights. Our customers in South Africa will have more choice and travel options departing from Johannesburg, as this new connection complements our daily service to Frankfurt. Both routes are priced at the same level, providing passengers with flexibility to even combine both routes,” said Jens.
Mpumi Mpofu, CEO of ACSA, added that they are delighted to welcome the reintroduction of Lufthansa’s direct route between Munich and Johannesburg, which offers significantly more seats per week to travellers between Germany and South Africa.
“The nonstop connection between Munich and Johannesburg will undoubtedly boost bilateral trade, create jobs, and contribute to the overall economic prosperity of both respective regions. It will also improve South Africa’s position as a main player in the global aviation network. Lufthansa Airlines has been a pivotal partner in enhancing the aviation landscape at O.R. Tambo International Airport,” he said.
According to Jens, the new service will operate year-round from Johannesburg, with flights scheduled every Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday morning. Passengers will travel on the modern and fuel-efficient Airbus A350-900, which accommodates up to 293 passengers across Business Class, Premium Economy, and Economy Class. Jens shared a very interesting snippet with us regarding the Premium Economy Class. “Because we developed a new integration, there’s a hardshell backrest, and if the person in front of you is reclining their backrest, you won’t notice sitting behind this because of the hardshell!”
With the flight departing Johannesburg at 8:20am, travellers now have an alternative travel time to Europe. It touches down at Munich airport at 6:50pm, in just 10 ½ hours, making it one of the shortest flight times to Western Europe. This service expands Lufthansa’s footprint in South Africa. Together with Cape Town, Lufthansa Group carriers Lufthansa, SWISS, and Edelweiss now offer a total of 34 weekly connections to Europe from South Africa in the upcoming winter schedule. Unlike the year-round Johannesburg flight, the Cape Town flight will only be seasonal.
Lufthansa is also thrilled to announce the introduction of its innovative Allegris seat cabins to Cape Town from October 27, 2024. Travellers will now have the opportunity to experience the luxury and comfort of Lufthansa’s Allegris First and Business Class cabins on flights from Munich to and from Cape Town. The Airbus A350 will also offer new seats in Premium Economy and Economy Class.
When booking Allegris Business Class, travellers can reserve a specific seat initially during the introductory phase free of charge with the classic seat reservation. This seat will provide all the amenities and comforts of the new product. Additionally, passengers can choose to upgrade to seats with extra comfort, such as the Business Class Suite, Extra Space Seat, Privacy Seat by the Window, and Extra Long Bed, for an additional fee through the seat reservation system.
In addition to the new cabin product, Lufthansa will increase the weekly frequency to Munich from five to seven weekly flights. In total, Lufthansa Group will offer 17 weekly flights as of late October to their hubs in Frankfurt (six weekly), Munich (seven weekly), and four weekly flights with Edelweiss to Zurich.
Lufthansa operates from Munich Airport, which has been one of the most important passenger terminals in Europe, number 2 in Germany, and an important international air traffic hub. It received multiple five-star ratings from Skytrax. The cheapest standard return fare from Johannesburg to Munich—all tax included—starts at R14 517 ZAR in Economy Class.
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