Lufthansa plans Bergen addition
Lufthansa is planinng a new route from Frankfurt to Bergen this summer.The new Lufthansa service, which will operate twice daily, year round, will be launched on 30 March 2008, when the summer timetable goes into effect. Bergen is the third destination in Norway after Oslo and Stavanger to be served from Frankfurt by Germany’s largest carrier. “With the new service to Bergen, we are linking one of the most important economic centres and attractive tourist regions in Norway to our largest hub in Frankfurt,” says Dr. Karl-Rudolf Rupprecht, Lufthansa’s Head of Hub Management Frankfurt.
Bergen lies on the west coast of Norway. With a population of 250,000, it is the second-largest city in the country. Bergen’s economic structure has been greatly shaped by the Norwegian oil industry. The extensive seaport, with its links to shipbuilding and the fishing industry, is another key factor in Bergen’s economy. Other important economic sectors are engineering, steel production, textiles and electronics. Bergen has a thriving media industry and is also an important financial centre, where many banks and insurance companies have located their headquarters.
Bergen has huge potential as a tourism destination, and is regarded as one of the most beautiful cities in Scandinavia. Bryggen, the old wharf in Bergen with its wooden Hanseatic-style houses, has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and each year attracts tens of thousands of visitors from all over the world. In addition, Bergen is the departure point for numerous cruises and Norway’s famous Hurtigruten line with its mail boats, which are now also used by tourists. The city is also one of the venues for the Men’s European Handball Championship.
When the new service to Bergen is introduced, Lufthansa will offer a total of 111 flights per week to Norway. In the summer, Lufthansa will also operate a twice-weekly, seasonal service to Bergen from Hamburg, with flights departing on Saturdays and Sundays. The Norwegian capital Oslo is already served several times daily from Frankfurt, Munich and Hamburg. In addition, Lufthansa customers have a choice of two flights per day from Frankfurt to Stavanger. Lufthansa’s flight services to Norway are supplemented by its Star Alliance partner Scandinavian Airlines (SAS).
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