German airline Lufthansa waved off the first flight from OR Tambo International Airport, with one of the airline's new Airbus A350-900's landing at 06:45 and then departing at 08:20 for Munich on September 3.

This marks the resumption of the direct, nonstop route after it fell away in 2005. Lufthansa will fly out of OR Tambo International Airport three times a week with day flights to Munich, while the flights from Munich are night flights.

“The night flights mean that travellers landing at OR Tambo can reach almost any destination in South Africa and Southern Africa by the end of the day, while there are same-evening connecting flights from Munich to Frankfurt, Madrid and Budapest, among others,” said Lufthansa CEO Jens Ritter.

Munich is the third-largest city in Germany and the capital of Bavaria, which hosts the head offices of many companies in the automotive, engineering, fashion and insurance industries.

“The new flight connection between South Africa's economic hub Gauteng, which also hosts many German automotive manufacturers among the 600 German companies operating in the country, and Bavaria benefits both regions,” he said.

Critical automotive spare parts are already flown into South Africa when necessary, and the new connection will be beneficial for travel, tourism and cargo transportation, Ritter added.

The new service will operate year-round from Johannesburg, with flights scheduled every Tuesday, Friday and Sunday morning.

The new route complements Lufthansa's daily service to Frankfurt, he said at an event held at the international departure gate A18 through which the passengers on the first new flight to Munich boarded. One of the company's Boeing 747-8 aircraft landed from Frankfurt during the proceedings.

Both routes are priced at the same level, providing passengers with flexibility and the ability to combine the routes, he added.

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 flights touch down at Munich Airport at 18:50, or within ten-and-a-half hours, making the route one of the shortest flight times to Western Europe.

Further, Lufthansa aims to be carbon-neutral by 2050 and aims to halve its carbon footprint by 2030, compared to its 2019 emissions figures, Ritter said.

“One of the main levers to achieve this is new aircraft, which significantly reduce the CO₂ emissions of the fleet. Our general plans up to 2025 will see us invest €2.5-billion as part of our products and services overhaul, and we will make yearly investments of €100-million in ground- and onboard services.”

Average yields in the aviation industry were low and costs were rising. This prompted Lufthansa's future programme to improve its financial situation.

“Our goal is to invest in new aircraft, seats, including the new Lufthansa Allegris seats, lounges and digital services for our customers. We need to make structural adjustments to improve our earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (Ebitda) margin to 8% by 2028,” he detailed.

State-owned airports management company Airports Company of South Africa Limited (ACSA) welcomed the reintroduction of Lufthansa’s direct route between Munich and Johannesburg, which offers significantly more seats per week to travellers between Germany and South Africa.

“The nonstop connection between Munich and Johannesburg will 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. Lufthansa Airlines has been a pivotal partner in enhancing the aviation landscape at OR Tambo International Airport,” said ACSA CEO Mpumi Mpofu at the event.

ACSA is building a new air cargo facility at the OR Tambo International Airport, which will supplement the underbelly capacity. The aim is to expand imports and exports of high-value goods, including automotive spare parts, as well as to explore the export of fresh produce, pharmaceuticals and textiles from the high-technology cargo facility," she said.