On September 27, Lufthansa flight LH639, bound for Munich, departed Dubai International Airport with a special air crew. The twelve-strong cabin crew serving passengers on board of that flight had exchanged their uniforms for traditional Bavarian style costumes.
For the past five years, in the run-up to the "Oktoberfest", a special Lufthansa crew, dressed in the Bavarian style, has been deployed on selected routes from Munich. This year these include Dubai, Singapore and Tokyo. The traditional-look Lufthansa crew will act as "airborne ambassadors", bringing a touch of local colour to flights and promoting Munich and the Bavarian way of life at Oktoberfest events organised in the three cities.
"As a native of the Bavarian region of Germany, it is a special joy for me to welcome our Oktoberfest crew to Dubai. The U.A.E. and other Gulf markets are of key strategic importance to Lufthansa. Clearly the overall market environment is challenging, but we are recording healthy growth and look forward to future ventures in the region with confidence," said Peter Pollak, Lufthansa's General Manager Passenger Sales U.A.E. and Director Gulf, as he greeted the crew at Dubai International Airport."The response from our customers and fans here in Dubai has been overwhelming".
As last year, the Bavarian "Dirndl" costumes worn by the crew will be supplied by the established outfitters "LODEN-FREY München am Dom". The Dirndl designed for the flight attendants reflects Lufthansa's corporate colours – blue and yellow. The bodice and skirt are royal blue, while the yellow apron has a delicate pattern with white flower chains. Male flight attendants, meanwhile, will wear traditional Bavarian suits and a tie.
During the Oktoberfest passengers travelling to and from Munich in First Class will be served a traditional Oktoberfest menu, which includes Munich white sausage terrine and other Bavarian specialities. Passengers may even request the renowned Oktoberfest beer. Bavarian specialities are also served in Business and Economy Class. On the audio channel, a special programme is devoted to Bavarian music to get passengers into the swing of what is known in Bavaria as "the fifth season of the year".
It has been more than 50 years since Lufthansa flight attendants first exchanged their uniforms for Bavarian costumes. In 1957, the airline reported: "During the Oktoberfest, Lufthansa stewardesses dressed in dirndls will be attending to the needs of passengers on flights from New York to Hamburg between 17 September and 2 October, and on flights from London to Munich between 21 September and 2 October." While blond flight attendants wore pale-blue dirndls, their dark-haired colleagues were dressed in pink.
The Oktoberfest, a 16-day traditional German cultural festival held each year in Munich, runs from mid September to early October. This year it started on September 18 and will end on October 3. It's one of the most famous cultural events in Germany and the world's largest fair, with some six million people attending every year.
