Lufthansa kicked off daily service between Miami and Frankfurt, Germany, with an Airbus A380 on Friday amid a spectacular welcome at the Miami International Airport.
The Airbus A380 is the largest commercial airplane in the world. It is 237 feet long, 79 feet high and weighs 1.3 million pounds.
The inaugural flight into the Miami airport was full with 526 passengers. The aircraft has two decks and in-seat videos for all passengers.
Passengers coming off the first flight said it was quite an experience.
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“I think it was close to nine hours, but for me it was like seconds. I’d like to stay in the air,” said passenger Emilio Lezcano.
The Miami airport is the fifth airport in the nation to have Airbus A380 capabilities.
“This is just a major milestone. It’s historic, and not just for the airport, it goes to the destination. It’s about Miami,” said Jose Abreu, the airport’s director.
Lufthansa also said the plane is the world’s most efficient aircraft, burning almost 12 percent less fuel than any other aircraft.
The plane will fly between Miami and Frankfurt daily.
“This should really help bring a lot more German visitors to Miami, a lot more from Europe and grow our top economic engine,” said Barry Johnson, CEO Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce.
Juergen Sieberock, Lufthansa's top executive for the U.S., said the aircraft will help fly more tourists to the area.
“This is huge event for us. Miami is one of the biggest destinations for Lufthansa,” he said.
