Lufthansa strengthens its position in Bahrain

The year 2012 has been the most successful year for Europe’s leading carrier in Bahrain. More than 40.000 passengers chose to fly with Lufthansa to and from Germany and beyond – an increase of more than 50 per cent compared to 2011. Also the number of arriving passengers who came to Manama on business or leisure purposes was in all time high and strengthened the Lufthansa service which operates on a daily basis with a modern Airbus A340 aircraft. “Bahrain has developed as one of the fastest growing markets for premium travel in the GCC and Lufthansa was able to rise above the challenging times in the Kingdom. Already, we recorded positive growth beyond the 2010 levels. Our growth numbers in First Class are especially impressive – the volume has nearly doubled within one year. This is a clear sign that our strategy to invest into brand new First and Business Class products as well as the world’s only dedicated First Class Terminal is paying off,” said Carsten Schaeffer, Lufthansa Vice President Sales & Service South East Europe, Middle East and Africa. “Meanwhile our ratings for the premium travel classes have developed more than positively – an innovative upgrade to our catering on board will be the next step.” Just this month, Lufthansa received the 5-star laurels from Skytrax for its new First Class product. On board, the Skytrax rating system singled out the superb comfort of the First-Class cabin with ergonomically contoured seats, which convert into a fully flat, two-metre long bed. Lufthansa’s First-Class cabin staff was awarded for their onboard service quality, which had lent an added note to the 5-Star rating and which had shown marked improvement over the past twelve months. On top, the First Class Terminal in Frankfurt was praised for its exclusive personal assistant service and the unsurpassable food and spa selection. “Since we added Bahrain to our global network seven years ago, we have continuously grown this service with additional flights and larger aircraft. Over this period, Manama has become a strong pillar in our Middle Eastern network and Frankfurt a preferred hub for our customers,” added Schaher Murad, Lufthansa’s General Manager Bahrain and Eastern Saudi Arabia. “The fourth runway in Frankfurt and the new A pier with easy connections and five premium lounges have increased our overall punctuality and will push Frankfurt fast forward on its way to become the most efficient and reliable hub in Europe. And from Europe, we have already seen a boost in our bookings with the upcoming Formula 1 event in Manama in April and clearly shows excellent business opportunities.”