LUFTHANSA German Airlines has steadily increased its presence in the Gulf and in the greater Middle East over the past few years. In addition to the launch of the Doha-Frankfurt non-stop service, recent schedule enhancements included the new service from Jeddah via Riyadh in Saudi Arabia to its Munich gateway. The Saudi capital and Jeddah are also linked with daily non-stop flights to Lufthansa’s Frankfurt hub. In April 2010, Lufthansa launched into Iraq four weekly flights to the city of Erbil.
Over the course of the past few years, Lufthansa has steadily increased its presence in the Gulf region. It has done so step by step and in line with market demand. In addition to the upgrade of the Doha operation to a six-weekly service, recent schedule enhancements in the region include new flights between the Saudi port city of Jeddah and Lufthansa’s hub in Munich in Southern Germany. The three-weekly flight is routed via Riyadh. Lufthansa also ventured into Iraq in 2010. Today, the German carrier operates four weekly flights from the city of Erbil in Northern Iraq to Frankfurt. Austrian Airlines complements the Lufthansa service with a six weekly service between Erbil and its Vienna hub.
“The Gulf market is of key strategic importance to Lufthansa. Clearly, the overall market environment is challenging, but we are recording healthy growth and look forward to future ventures in the region with confidence,” said Peter Pollak, Lufthansa’s general manager passenger sales UAE and director, Gulf region.
Lufthansa serves nine destinations in the Gulf region, including Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, Jeddah, Bahrain, Dammam, Doha, Kuwait and Muscat. Further destinations served in the Middle East include Beirut, Amman, Tehran and Erbil, Iraq.
In a bid to boost further its commitment to superior customer service, Lufthansa opened its Senator Lounge at Dubai International Airport, Terminal 1 in Dubai last July. After extensive construction works, the new Senator Lounge replaces the previous venue, which was a combined Business and Senator lounge. The design and the services provided are reflective of the highest standards of quality of Lufthansa.
Lufthansa serves 100 destinations in Europe and provides flexible travel options to a vast number of destinations worldwide via its hubs in Frankfurt and Munich. Customers can fly to 21 destinations in North America, non-stop from Frankfurt or Munich. Many more are served in cooperation with code share partner United Airlines.
Arriving to Frankfurt, Lufthansa Business Class passengers and status customers can look forward to a special delight: Lufthansa’s exclusive Welcome Lounge. The facility, which was opened in January 2009, is geared to the needs of travellers arriving on long-haul flights. In addition to a comprehensive breakfast and snack buffet, comfort areas and quiet zones, a modern shower area on the lower level is one of the Welcome Lounge’s exclusive features. It encompasses 28 high-end showers in an elegant design that invite guests to relax and prepare for the day ahead. A concierge is on hand to allocate the shower facilities and coordinate further customer wishes such as the ironing service for HON Circle members, First Class guests and Senators. Passengers with onward connections find a number of First Class, Senator and Business Class lounges.