Mumbai: Premier German airlines Lufthansa announced the launch of three new non-stop flights between Mumbai and Munich starting on Sunday.

With the introduction of the new service, Lufthansa will become the first and only airline operating between Mumbai and Munich with three weekly flights. Airbus A340-300 will be deployed on this route. So far Lufthansa has only one daily service between Mumbai and Frankfurt.

According to Lufthansa south asia director Werner Heesen, India is increasingly gaining importance as a strategic growth market for Lufthansa.

"We are very proud to boost our presence in India by starting Mumbai and Munich, both commercial and financial hubs of the two countries. We are confident that this enhanced network will offer greater flexibility and choice to our customers as well as reinforce our position as a European market leader," he said Monday.

The airline will also increase current services between Kolkata and Frankfurt from three to five flights a week, starting June 3. Lufthansa will also introduce new non-stop flights between Pune and Frankfurt July 1, 2008. The new six weekly flights will be operated by an Airbus A319, offering a total of 48 seats in an all-business class configuration.

Lufthansa currently 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.

Together with Swiss, Lufthansa will offer a maximum of 68 flights a week from India to Europe via its three hubs - Frankfurt, Munich and Zurich - during summer 2008.

 

Source : IANS