Lufthansa

By Park Si-soo
Staff Reporter

Shenyang, the largest city in northeast China, is transforming itself into a hub of industry and tourism.

With sufficient human and natural resources, it has become home to a variety of multinational enterprises, including BMW and LG Electronics. Shenyang boasts more than 2,000 years of history, which can be traced back to Warring States Period (476-221 B.C.). It is also the birthplace of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and has numerous cultural relics that show the prosperity and subsequent decline of China's last feudal dynasty.

The historic yet modernized city is now gearing up to stand in the heart of the global village in the wake of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

The German airline Lufthansa launched the Shenyang ㅡ Incheon ㅡ Munich route, starting June 8 to meet the fast growing demand for Shenyang as well as Europe. Lufthansa is the first European carrier to link Incheon and Shenyang three times a week.

The flight to Shenyang leaves at 6:45 a.m. allowing passengers visiting China on either business or pleasure class to have a full working day in the city.

Demand for the new route is on the increase. Ticket sales in July jumped 48 percent from June, according to Lufthansa's Seoul office.

``Korea is one of Lufthansa's fast-growing markets in the Asia-Pacific region. The launch of the new route to Shenyang and additional services to Munich show our commitment to the Korean market,'' said Harald Hahn, general manager of Lufthansa's Seoul office. ``Air traffic between Korea and China has become very important in line with economic development between the two countries, and Lufthansa underpins its presence in Korea by even offering regional services between Korea and China.''

Lufthansa, the fifth largest carrier in the world in terms of passengers, connects 208 destinations in 81 countries. It is a founding member of ``Star Alliance,'' the world's largest airline alliance formed in 1997. South Korea's Asiana Airlines is a member of the alliance.

The Lufthansa Group operates more than 500 aircraft and employs more than 100,000 people worldwide. In 2007, 83.1 million passengers flew with Lufthansa, including all subsidiaries. For more information, visit www.lufthansa.com

pss@koreatimes.co.kr