Lufthansa Cargo names freighter service ‘Konnichiwa Japan’

The new B777F aircraft D-ALFF was officially named yesterday at Narita Airport in Tokyo, Japan. In future, the Lufthansa Cargo freighter will be called “Konnichiwa Japan” (“Good day, Japan”). The aircraft was named in a joint ceremony by Peter Gerber, CEO and Chairman of the Executive Board of Lufthansa Cargo, Dr Hans Carl von Werthern, the German Ambassador to Japan, Yasuo Ishii, Administrator of Narita International Airport, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, East Japan Civil Aviation Bureau, Narita International Airport Office and Futoshi Osada, Senior Executive Vice President, Narita International Airport Corporation.

In keeping with Japanese tradition, a sake barrel was opened and the aircraft was sprinkled with Japan’s national drink. The name chosen for the new aircraft, “Konnichiwa Japan”, symbolises Japan’s importance as one of the most important markets for air cargo worldwide. Peter Gerber said: “The greeting ‘Konnichiwa Japan’ expresses the close connection between Lufthansa Cargo and Japan. We are very proud to have been flying to the Land of the Rising Sun with our own freighters since 1969, thus contributing to trade between these markets.” The company has been serving customers in Japan since 1961 and has been part of an air cargo joint venture with Japan’s ANA Cargo since 2014.

The principle behind the naming convention used for new Lufthansa Cargo freighters is based on a creative competition once organized by Lufthansa Cargo. The idea to “Say hello around the world” was ultimately chosen as the winner from more than 40,000 submissions and used to name the fleet. The Boeing 777F that was named in Tokyo yesterday is already the sixth B777F freighter using this naming convention.