. More comfort with three new cabins
. A latest-generation aircraft which is more environmentally-friendly

On its flights to Mauritius, Air France is continuing to invest in its reference products which combine quality and comfort, and on 8 May introduced the Boeing 777-300 ER with a capacity of 468 seats divided between three cabin classes: 14 seats in Business class, 32 seats in Premium Voyageur and 422 in Voyageur (Economy).

A choice between three cabin classes

1. The Business class cabin is equipped with a «full sleep» seat, which is longer and wider. It had been completely redesigned to provide more comfort and is one of the most spacious and most comfortable seat beds on the market (over 2 m long and 61 cm wide).

2. Located between the Business class and Voyageur cabins, the Premium Voyageur cabin provides the comfort of a private space thanks to its fixed-shell seat which offers 40% additional space compared with the seat in the Voyageur (economy) cabin.

The cabin has been designed to provide maximum comfort, with an adjustable footrest, headrest and a 19-inch seat (48 centimetres) as well as numerous practical functions such as an electric socket, a wide table tray, an individual reading light and noise-reducing headphones.

3. In the Voyageur cabin, passengers have latest-generation seats with an adjustable footrest and headrest as well as an individual screen.

A wide choice of in-flight entertainment in all cabins Each seat is equipped with its own individual in-flight entertainment system, enabling passengers to choose when they want to watch, stop or pause a programme.

Every month, Air France adds new features to its entertainment programme, which has movies, TV series, French and international news channels, games and even foreign language lessons. In total, there are up to 600 hours of programmes on offer: between 85 and 100 films and a juke box of 200 to 300 CDs depending on the system, 25 radio stations and around twenty interactive games.

The Boeing B777-300ER, a latest-generation aircraft which is more environmentally-friendly

The Boeing 777-300ER offers a high level of comfort and is extremely efficient in terms of fuel consumption, limiting the environmental impact of each flight.

• Greater autonomy: Air France’s Boeing 777 has a non-stop operating range of 14,000 kilometres.
• A greater payload: with its powerful GE 90-115B engines, the Boeing 777-300ER can carry greater amounts of cargo, even over long distances. The Boeing 777-300ER can carry 23 tons of cargo. The maximum payload of Air France’s 777-300ER is approximately 57 tons (passengers and cargo) and 40 tons for the 777–200ER.
• An exceptional environmental performance: equipped with the most advanced technology and latest-generation engines, the Boeing 777-300ER presents the best energy and environmental performance in its category. It consumes 20% less fuel than the Boeing 747, resulting in the same reduction in CO2 emissions, with an average consumption of 3.1 litres per passenger per 100 km.

Its GE90-115B second-generation engines are also compatible with the strictest regulatory standards in terms of noise.

Up to 14 weekly flights
Air France operates up to 14 weekly flights to Mauritius together with Air Mauritius. Air France operates up to 4 weekly flights by Boeing 777-300ER with three cabin classes and Air Mauritius operates up to 11 weekly flights by Airbus A340-300 with two cabin classes.

Air France 9 May 2012

- Order includes purchase rights for an additional four airplanes

Boeing and Taipei-based EVA Air today finalized an order for three 777-300ERs (Extended Range) airplanes. The order also includes purchase rights for an additional four airplanes.

"The 777-300ER is the flagship of our long-haul fleet and will play an important role in growing our global operations," said Chang Kuo-wei, president of EVA Air. "The highly efficient, technologically advanced airplane will enhance the premium flying experience for passengers and will also allow us to open new destinations around the world."

The Taiwan-based carrier is in the midst of growing its airplane fleet to increase frequency to mainland China and new destinations in North Asia. The new airplanes will help the airline position itself as the preferred premium airline in Taiwan.

"We are honored EVA Air has again chosen the 777-300ER to expand its long-haul fleet," said Ray Conner, senior vice president of Sales and Customer Support, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "EVA Air was a launch customer for the 777-300ER in 2000 and today the airline is among the leading global airlines operating out of Asia."

In addition to the Boeing order for three 777-300ERs, EVA Air will also lease four 777-300ERs from GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS), adding a total of seven new 777-300ER airplanes to its long-haul twin-aisle fleet. EVA Air currently operates 15 777-300ERs

The Boeing 777 is the world's most successful twin-engine, long-haul airplane. It is 19 percent lighter than its closest competitor, produces 22 percent less carbon dioxide per seat and costs 20 percent less to operate per seat. The 777-300ER seats up to 365 passengers in a three-class configuration and has a maximum range of 7,930 nautical miles (14,685 km).

TAIPEI, Taiwan, May 8, 2012 /PRNewswire/

Boeing announced today a new winglet design concept for the 737 MAX. The new Advanced Technology winglet will provide MAX customers with up to an additional 1.5 percent fuel-burn improvement, depending on range, on top of the 10-12 percent improvement already offered on the new-engine variant.

"The Advanced Technology winglet demonstrates Boeing's continued drive to improve fuel burn and the corresponding value to the customer. With this technology and others being built into the MAX, we will extend our leadership," said Jim Albaugh, president and CEO, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "Incorporating this advanced technology into the 737 MAX design will give our customers even more advantage in today's volatile fuel price environment."

Compared to today's wingtip technology, which provides up to a 4 percent fuel-burn advantage at long ranges, the Advanced Technology winglet provides a total fuel-burn improvement of up to 5.5 percent on the same long routes.

"The concept is more efficient than any other wingtip device in the single-aisle market because the effective wing span increase is uniquely balanced between the upper and lower parts of the winglet," said Michael Teal, chief project engineer, 737 MAX.

Boeing aerodynamicists used advanced computational fluid dynamics to combine rake tip technology with a dual feather winglet concept into one advanced treatment for the wings of the 737 MAX. The Advanced Technology winglet fits within today's airport gate constraints while providing more effective span thereby reducing drag. Ongoing 737 MAX testing in the wind tunnel validated the new concept on the airplane.

The super-efficient design has been incorporated into the 737 MAX design and production system plans. "We have assessed the risk and understand how to leverage this new technology on the MAX within our current schedule," said Teal. "This puts us on track to deliver substantial additional fuel savings to our customers in 2017." Airlines operating the 737 MAX now will gain an 18 percent fuel-burn per-seat improvement over today's A320. Depending on the range of the mission, MAX operators will realize even more savings.

"Adding the Advanced Technology winglet to the 737 MAX is consistent with our demonstrated performance on delivering increasing value to our customers, on time, throughout the life of the 737 program," said Beverly Wyse, vice president and general manger, 737 program.

To date, the 737 MAX has more than 1,000 orders and commitments from 16 customers worldwide.

Boeing, RENTON, Wash., May 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/

Queen of the Skies with new Lufthansa Business Class / First scheduled flight on 1 June from Frankfurt to Washington

The new Queen of the Skies has arrived in Frankfurt. Today Lufthansa became the first airline in the world to take delivery of a Boeing 747-8. After the handover at Boeing’s manufacturing facility in Everett, Washington, the new “Jumbo” with the registration D-ABYA performed a touch and go at Hamburg Airport, where Lufthansa Technik is based, before flying on to its future home base in Frankfurt, where it landed safely.

On 1 June, the world’s first passenger flight with a Boeing 747-8 aircraft will depart from Frankfurt as flight LH 418 bound for Washington Dulles International Airport in the US capital, Washington DC.

“We are looking forward to welcoming the Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental to our long-haul fleet. In future we will offer our passengers on board this completely newly developed long-haul aircraft an exclusive travel experience and the comfort of our new Business Class. The Boeing 747-8 is characterised by lower noise emissions, lower fuel consumption and significantly reduced CO2 emissions. That enables us to combine maximum comfort with sustainability,” Lufthansa Executive Board member Carsten Spohr said at the large reception held at Frankfurt Airport.

“We are proud to celebrate this important milestone together with Lufthansa, our partner of more than 50 years and the launch customer for the new 747-8 Intercontinental,” said Elizabeth Lund, Vice President and General Manager 747, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “Lufthansa has contributed greatly to this new and efficient aircraft. And Lufthansa passengers will experience a new level of comfort on the 747-8 Intercontinental, which is truly the Queen of the Skies for the 21st century.”

When the new 747-8 enters scheduled service on 1 June 2012, Lufthansa passengers will have their first opportunity to experience the new Business Class. The new seat offers exceptional comfort for passengers in a sitting or recumbent position, intuitive adjustment features, additional storage space and an individual entertainment system with much larger, 15-inch screens. At the press of a button, the seat converts into a comfortable bed with a horizontal sleeping surface measuring 1.98 metres in length. The aircraft also features an entirely new seating arrangement in the form of a “V”. Two neighbouring seats are angled towards one another along a central axis. This virtually doubles the distance at shoulder level between the seats, giving Business Class passengers even more privacy.

For the first time, First Class passengers will be seated in the front section of the main deck, the quietest part of the aircraft. On the B747-8, this area is exceptionally quiet – thanks to the outer skin insulation, sound-absorbing curtains, which minimise specific noises, and the sound-deadening material used in the aircraft flooring. Each of the eight First Class seats can be converted into a lie-flat bed, which is 2.07 metres long and 80 cm wide, enabling passengers to enjoy a deep, relaxing sleep. With the new Business Class, the exclusive First Class and the refined design of the Economy Class seat, the new Jumbo offers passengers in all classes the ultimate in travel comfort.

The Boeing 747-8 is a completely new aircraft that builds upon the positive features of the Boeing 747 series, which has been Lufthansa’s long-haul workhorse for the past 40 years. The aircraft boasts significantly improved aerodynamics and newly developed wingtips, and also provides tangible improvements in terms of eco-efficiency. The Gent GEnx-2B engines use less fuel and achieve a substantial 15 per cent reduction in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions per passenger. In addition, noise emissions have been reduced by 30 per cent.

The Boeing 747-8 is 76.3 metres long, 5.6 metres longer than its predecessor, the Boeing 747-400. The new Lufthansa Jumbo can seat 362 passengers: eight in First Class, 92 in Business Class and 262 in Economy Class.

Lufthansa will take delivery of 20 Boeing 747-8s up until 2015. The first five aircraft are due to be delivered to Lufthansa this year. They will be deployed on routes from Frankfurt to Washington D. C, New Delhi, Bangalore, Chicago and Los Angeles.

Illustrative material and other information can be downloaded from the Internet at: http://konzern.lufthansa.com/en/themen/ ... 747-8.html

Deutsche Lufthansa AG Communications Lufthansa German 02.05.12

New flagship will fly to Washington, Los Angeles, Chicago, Delhi and Bangalore

From today, passengers can book flights on Lufthansa’s first Boeing 747-8, which has just been delivered from Seattle. From 1 June, Lufthansa will operate six flights per week with the “Queen of the Skies” on the Frankfurt-Washington route. Over the next few months, as four more new Jumbo jets join the fleet, the number of destinations served by the aircraft will be gradually increased. By late summer, 747-8 flights will be offered to Delhi, Bangalore, Chicago and Los Angeles.

Once the 747-8 enters scheduled service, passengers will also have an opportunity to enjoy Lufthansa’s revamped Business Class. The new Business Class seat provides exceptional comfort, whether in an upright or reclined position or as a lie-flat bed, plus intuitive adjustments, additional storage space and an enhanced inflight entertainment system. At the press of a button, the seat converts into a comfortable bed with a horizontal sleeping surface measuring 1.98 metres in length.

The 747-8 Intercontinental will bring double-digit improvements in fuel efficiency and CO2 emissions per passenger over its predecessor, the 747-400. It is also much quieter, and generates a 30 per cent smaller noise footprint. A wealth of information about the “Queen of the Skies” is available at www.lufthansa.com/747-8 The website also features a competition with the chance to win two flights with the Boeing 747-8.

Deutsche Lufthansa AG Communications Lufthansa German Airlines 27.04.12