Lufthansa is to become the first large carrier to offer a private jet service, hoping to attract “rock stars, sports champions and billionaires”.
According to a report in The Guardian, passengers arriving on long-haul flights at Munich airport will be able to fly by private jet to their destination, while passengers commencing their journey from outside the Lufthansa network will be able to book a private jet to ferry them to the nearest of the German carrier’s existing hubs.
The service becomes available following a deal struck with NetJets, an executive jet company that has a fleet of 61 suitable aircraft.
Prices for the service will begin at between £5,000 and £9,000 per jet, plus £300 per additional passenger.
Lufthansa chief executive Wolfgang Mayrhuber is quoted as saying: “Business travellers are attaching a growing importance to sovereign command of their time. Many of our customers want maximum flexibility in their travel planning.”
But environmentalists have condemned the plan, with one group questioning whether anyone was “important enough” to justify a private jet.
Paul de Silva, of Friends of the Earth, is quoted as saying: “There are a lot of people around who over-rate their self-importance and use that to justify the damage they do to the environment. They should think about using their time more creatively.”
Report by Tim Gillett, News From Abroad
