July 28 - Lufthansa has christened one of its new A380 aircraft "Munich" to help promote the city's bid to host the 2018 Winter Olympics and Paralympics.



To celebrate the occasion, the aircraft's maiden voyage was a flight over the potential sports venues for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

The Munich Alps route crosses over the Ice Park at Olympiapark, the Snow Parks in Garmisch-Partenkirchen and the sliding centre at Königssee. 

"Lufthansa's name is synonymous with sports thanks to its energetic support over many years," said Thomas Bach, the chairman of the Munich 2018 Supervisory Board and President of the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB).

"As a national sponsor of our bid to host the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in 2018, it is propelling our passion for Winter Sports across the entire globe."


 
From October, Lufthansa will fly regularly from Frankfurt to Johannesburg and the Willy Bogner, the Munich 2018 chief executive, hopes, that there will be a special flight from Munich to Durban for the International Olympic Committee Session on July 6, 2011, where the Bavarian city will find out whether it has been chosen to host the Games ahead of rivals Annecy and Pyeongchang.

"We look forward to continuing our partnership with Lufthansa," said Bogner.

"Hopefully next July, they will be sharing our celebrations on the journey back from South Africa!

"Until then, Lufthansa and 'Munich,' as a new flagship for German hospitality, will continue to make the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Munich a compelling prospect."


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