Summary
- Lufthansa will have three daily A380 departures from Munich in winter 2024/2025.
- Munich-Delhi, which was not scheduled by the type in the winter, has now been extended to year-round.
- It joins Bangkok and Los Angeles.
Lufthansa plans three A380 routes in winter 2024/2025 – one more than last year. Munich to Delhi, which already sees the double-decker quadjet, has been extended through the winter in the latest schedule update.
Lufthansa currently uses five A380s, with three additional aircraft parked or undergoing maintenance.
The A380 from Munich to Delhi
Do not misunderstand. Lufthansa has been flying its 509-seat, four-class, first-class-equipped A380s on the route since March 31. That date was the start of the northern aviation summer season 2024, based on IATA slot seasons.
While OAG shows that type was to be replaced by the non-first-class 318-seat A350-900 on October 27, the first day of the northern aviation winter season, the double-decker will continue to be deployed. Each departure will now have 191 more seats to sell each way (+60%). It should not be hard to fill as it is peak time for Indian travel.
Photo: Lufthansa
In November, Lufthansa’s schedule is as follows, with all times local. Note the relatively short 1h 40m turn in India. It will supplement Lufthansa’s daily Frankfurt-Delhi service, which will be aboard the aging but charismatic Boeing 747-400 in winter 2024/2025.
- Munich to Delhi: LH762, 12:15-00:10+1 (7h 25m).
- Delhi to Munich: LH763, 01:50-06:15 (8h 55m).
The timings are best to collect to/from European flights. However, the 12:15 departure from Germany is well suited to multiple services from North America. The problem is that the 06:15 arrival is nearly five-and-a-half hours before Lufthansa’s first US/Canada departure in November, which is too early and far less competitive than its schedule at Frankfurt.
It’s not much of a problem: people can choose to fly via Frankfurt in both or one direction or, in some cases, with fellow Star Alliance and transatlantic joint venture partners to/from Munich.
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Lufthansa’s A380 winter plan
The latest schedule sees the following three routes. Again, the times are based on November.
- Munich-Bangkok: daily (22:25 departure, 06:00+2 arrival back); winter-seasonal by the A380 (the type returns on October 27).
- Munich-Delhi: daily (12:15 departure, 06:15+1 arrival home).
- Munich-Los Angeles: daily (12:00 departure, 13:45+1 arrival back).
Photo: Chittapon Kaewkiriya | Shutterstock
Where Lufthansa’s Delhi passengers go
Examining booking data obtained via OAG Traffic Analyzer shows that Lufthansa’s Munich-Delhi-Munich flights carried more than 115,000 transit passengers last year when the A380 was not used. Nearly three-quarters of passengers traveled to/from Europe (73%), with North America accounting for most of the rest.
It was a bit different at the country level. Canada-India was number one, followed by Germany, the US, Italy, Spain, France, the UK, Austria, Switzerland, and Sweden.
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At the airport level, Toronto-Delhi was the most popular origin and destination via Munich. Berlin-Delhi was second, followed by Barcelona, Madrid, Brussels, Düsseldorf, Vienna, Vancouver, Hamburg, and London Heathrow.
What do you make of it all? Let us know in the comment section.