Lufthansa CEO Jens Ritter, who was on board the inaugural flight, said Munich was a convenient hub to take advantage of numerous onwards flights. Picture: Supplied
German national carrier Lufthansa Group has launched a new long-haul, non-stop flight from Johannesburg to Munich after a 19-year hiatus in a bid to boost the economies of South Africa and Germany.
The inaugural flight landed at OR Tambo International Airport on Tuesday morning, with the touchdown of a Lufthansa Airbus A350.
It marks a significant addition to Lufthansa’s network as 34% more seats are offered from Johannesburg.
The Munich route, one of Lufthansa’s two major hubs, opens up around 130 global destinations for South African travellers, including Europe, America, Asia and the Middle East. The route had been part of Lufthansa’s schedule until 2005 and is poised to reconnect South Africa to one of Germany’s most important economic centres.
Lufthansa CEO Jens Ritter said Munich was a convenient hub to take advantage of numerous onwards 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,” Ritter said.
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.
The cheapest standard return fare from Johannesburg to Munich – all tax included –starts at R14 517 in Economy Class.
With the flight departing Johannesburg at 8.20am, travellers have an alternative travel time to Europe. It touches down at Munich airport at 6.50pm, in 10-and-a-half hours, making it one of the shortest flight times to Western Europe.
The service expands Lufthansa’s footprint in South Africa. Together with Cape Town, Lufthansa Group carriers Lufthansa, Swiss and Edelweiss offer a total of 34 weekly connections to Europe from South Africa in the upcoming winter schedule.
Airports Company South Africa CEO Mpumi Mpofu said they were delighted to welcome the reintroduction of Lufthansa’s direct route between Munich and Johannesburg, which offers significantly more seats a week to travellers between Germany and South Africa.
“The non-stop 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,” Mpofu said.
“Lufthansa Airlines has been a pivotal partner in enhancing the aviation landscape at OR Tambo International Airport.”
According to Germany’s Federal Foreign Office, Germany is South Africa’s second largest bilateral trading partner and South Africa is Germany’s most important trading partner in Africa, with trade worth more than €20 billion (R396bn).
South Africa is the only African member of the G20 and is to assume the chair in 2025. A significant shared initiative is the Compact with Africa, which is aimed to improve business conditions in participating countries and contribute to greater private investment.
More than 600 German companies operating in South Africa have invested more than €6.2bn there and employ a total workforce of nearly 100 000. Almost as many jobs again are created indirectly by German companies.
Numerous German businesses have established offices and manufacturing facilities in South Africa, including BASF, Bayer, Bilfinger Berger, BMW, DHL, Deutsche Bank, Lanxess, Mercedes-Benz, MTU, SAP, Siemens, ThyssenKrupp and Volkswagen.
Lufthansa operates from Munich Airport, which has been one of the most important passenger terminals in Europe, number two in Germany and an important international air traffic hub.
Rene Koinzack, the senior director sales southern and eastern Africa, Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea for Lufthansa Group, said the inaugural was a milestone in their 62 years long history in South Africa.
“Connecting Johannesburg with Munich is an exciting match as Bavaria and Gauteng both show a dynamic business environment, having economic ties into many sectors,” Koinzack said.
“Both destinations are also popular with many leisure travellers who find numerous unique attractions – with the benefit of almost no time difference, therefore no jet lag. This huge capacity increase will also contribute to the tourism sector in South Africa.”
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