Lufthansa passengers will now be able to fly non-stop to the
Indian city of Kolkata (formerly Calcutta).The German flag carrier will serve
India’s third-largest city directly from Frankfurt, three times a week. “With this
latest addition to its flight schedule Lufthansa is steadily expanding its route
network in the emerging Asian markets of China and India,” explains Dr. Holger
Hätty, member of the Airline Board, Lufthansa German Airlines. “In future, with
Kolkata as our sixth destination in India and 45 flights a week from Germany to
India, Lufthansa will be the number One in India. We are offering our customers more
flights between Europe and all the major economic centres in India than any other
carrier. ” Already since October 2004 all connections between Germany and India are
operated as code-share flights with Air India.

In February 2005, Lufthansa added Hyderabad to its network, which already included
Delhi, Mumbai (formerly Bombay), Chennai (formerly Madras) and Bangalore. The new
connection to Kolkata will enable passengers to reach this economically important
region in north-eastern India in just nine-and-a-half hours on average. With more
than 13 million inhabitants, Kolkata is India’s second-largest urban agglomeration.
It is also the centre of the mining and steel-making industries. Numerous companies
in the rapidly expanding technology sector, the services industry (call centres,
IT), the financial sector (banks, stock exchange) as well as the manufacturing
sector (cars, food, electronics and textiles) are based here. Passengers arriving at
the airport of the West Bengal capital will benefit additionally from numerous
connections to neighbouring countries such as Nepal, Bhutan, Bang?ladesh and Myanmar
(formerly Burma).

 

Kolkata, which is situated on the Hooghly River, a tributary of the Ganges, also has
a lot to offer as a tourist destination. With its well-retained historic buildings,
the bustling metropolis exudes the flair of the Victorian era. Art and culture have
a high profile. The Indian Museum, founded in 1814, is the largest museum in the
subcontinent and contains numerous exhibits of Asian cultures. Contemporary Indian
dance and music can be enjoyed in many of Kolkata’s theatres and concert halls.
After a shopping spree in the colourful New Market, visitors can relax in the
Maidan, one of the world’s largest urban parks, or in the Botanical Gardens, which
are well worth a visit.

 

Lufthansa will operate the route to Kolkata with an Airbus A340-300 offering a total
of 221 seats in First, Business and Economy Class. At Frank?furt, departure and
arrival times have been coordinated so as to give passengers arriving from India the
best possible choice of connecting flights to the United States. Round-trip fares to
Kolkata from Frankfurt start at 672 euros, including all taxes and charges. This
fare applies to electronic tickets booked online via www.lufthansa.com
. On top of that, there is also a Lufthansa Ticket
Service Charge of 15 euros for flight bookings made via the Internet. This charge
may vary, however, for bookings via other distribution channels. Miles & More
members can also collect miles on this new route. Information about Lufthansa flight
reservations can be obtained from the Lufthansa Call Center on “0180 - LUFTHANSA”
(0180 5 83 84 26), as well as from Lufthansa-designated travel agencies and
Lufthansa sales counters at airports.
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