Lufthansa's A380s to ply from Mumbai airport

German airline Lufthansa plans to launch its Airbus A380 services from Mumbai airport in July next year. The airline's announcement comes a few days after it started plying its A380 flights from Delhi to Frankfurt.

"We plan to start flying between Mumbai and Frankfurt with the 380 from July-August next year," said Wolfgang Will, Lufthansa's director for South Asia. Passengers from Mumbai can expect to fly in premium economy services, he said.

A few months ago, Emirates Airline and Singapore Airlines had launched A380 services from Mumbai.

With a carrying capacity of 853 passengers (in a single-class configuration), the A380 is the largest aircraft in the world. Due to economics of scale, the plane helps in bringing down average air fares for passengers, claim aviation experts.

The ban on using A380s in India was lifted earlier this year by the union government. Previously, it had been under the apprehension that the jumbo aircraft, with its mammoth carrying capacity, would give foreign airlines an overwhelming advantage over their Indian counterparts.

The development comes amidst the increase in passenger movement at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA). Passenger movement at CSIA increased to 32.22 million during 2013-14 from 30.20 million during 2012-13, an increase of 6.7 per cent. CSIA receives the most number of foreign travellers in the country, as the city is the financial capital and also a major entry point.