A tribute to the citizens of Gander and Halifax by Lufthansa

Nobbe · 05-17-2002, 10:44 AM

What a great idea! I found this on the LH-website:

05/16/2002 Lufthansa christens Airbus A340 "Gander" and "Halifax"

Gratitude for helpfulness and support during the closure of US airspace

With an exceptional aircraft christening, Lufthansa is making a gesture of gratitude: following the terrorist attacks on 11 September, Lufthansa passengers and crews experienced a wave of exemplary helpfulness.

Seven long-haul aircraft with around 1,500 passengers on board were immediately redirected to the Canadian airports of Gander and Halifax as soon as US airspace was closed down. Lufthansa's passengers, alongside thousands of travelers with other airlines, spent up to a week in the two towns. Support and assistance was provided from all sides - from the mayors and the citizens right through to the Salvation Army, everyone did their utmost to ensure the wellbeing of the passengers and crews.
"We were witnesses to how the citizens provided the many thousands of people from the most varied origins, the most varied cultures and with sheer endless worries, with a little consolation and comfort", said Stefan Lauer, Director of Human Resources at Deutsche Lufthansa AG on Thursday at this special aircraft christening in Frankfurt. He went on to say: "Due to the uniqueness of what we have experienced, we have decided to request two Canadian communities to act as godparents. Thus, today we can all be witnesses at the christening of our new ambassador, this Airbus A340, with the names of Gander and Halifax." Also present at the christening were Petra Roth, Lady Mayoress of the City of Frankfurt, who was aboard one of the aircraft that were redirected to Gander in September, as well as Marie Bernard-Meunier, the Canadian Ambassador in Germany. The Mayors of Gander, Claude Elliott, and Halifax, Peter J. Kelly, each traveled to the christening ceremony in Frankfurt accompanied by a delegation of 20 members.

The godparents of the Airbus A340, Claude Elliott and Nancy Kelly, the wife of the Mayor of Halifax, solemnly declared: "I name you in the name of the towns of Gander and Halifax and I wish you, your passengers and your crew always happy landings." In doing so, they wet the radar nose of their "Flying Ambassador" with Sekt.

The names of the two communities will be borne by a modern Airbus all over the world. The A340-300 with marking D-AIFC is 63.66 meters long, 16.91 meters high and has a wingspan of 60.30 meters. It machine can carry up to 247 passengers. The four-engined jet aircraft can fly with a maximum take-off weight of 271,000 kilograms and has a cruising speed of 870 kilometers/hour. With a maximum range of 13,000 kilometers, the aircraft will undoubtedly at some point in its life fly to the land of its godparents, to Canada.

Aircraft christenings already have a long tradition at Lufthansa: in September 1960, the first long-haul jet in the Lufthansa fleet, a Boeing 707, was named after the City of Berlin. God parent was the then Mayor of Berlin, Willy Brandt. In the meantime, all Lufthansa aircraft bear the names of towns/cities or German federal states. Apart from the great sense of attachment to the residents, the "Gander and Halifax" aircraft will always enjoy a special significance for the airline: it is the first and only aircraft in the Lufthansa fleet to be named after towns outside Germany.

Deutsche Lufthansa AG
Corporate Communications

DeltaFlot · 05-17-2002, 01:18 PM

Its good to see Canada's contribution to world recognized outside of North America. I think everyone in the airline industry who was affected that day, have a deep appreciation for the outreach from the Canadian citizens and authorities. Now if we can just get the Canadian civiliztion style into the US, everything would be cool. In fact the only bone I have ever had to pick with our neighbor to the north, specifically with Calgary, I WANT MY OLD HOCKEY TEAM BACK! eh.

Ozz · 05-19-2002, 10:35 PM

Hey Russ, trade you for the Avalanche!

05-17-2002, 10:44 AM	#1
Nobbe Insane Collector Join Date: Aug 2001 Posts: 1,050	A tribute to the citizens of Gander and Halifax by Lufthansa What a great idea! I found this on the LH-website: 05/16/2002 Lufthansa christens Airbus A340 "Gander" and "Halifax" Gratitude for helpfulness and support during the closure of US airspace With an exceptional aircraft christening, Lufthansa is making a gesture of gratitude: following the terrorist attacks on 11 September, Lufthansa passengers and crews experienced a wave of exemplary helpfulness. Seven long-haul aircraft with around 1,500 passengers on board were immediately redirected to the Canadian airports of Gander and Halifax as soon as US airspace was closed down. Lufthansa's passengers, alongside thousands of travelers with other airlines, spent up to a week in the two towns. Support and assistance was provided from all sides - from the mayors and the citizens right through to the Salvation Army, everyone did their utmost to ensure the wellbeing of the passengers and crews. "We were witnesses to how the citizens provided the many thousands of people from the most varied origins, the most varied cultures and with sheer endless worries, with a little consolation and comfort", said Stefan Lauer, Director of Human Resources at Deutsche Lufthansa AG on Thursday at this special aircraft christening in Frankfurt. He went on to say: "Due to the uniqueness of what we have experienced, we have decided to request two Canadian communities to act as godparents. Thus, today we can all be witnesses at the christening of our new ambassador, this Airbus A340, with the names of Gander and Halifax." Also present at the christening were Petra Roth, Lady Mayoress of the City of Frankfurt, who was aboard one of the aircraft that were redirected to Gander in September, as well as Marie Bernard-Meunier, the Canadian Ambassador in Germany. The Mayors of Gander, Claude Elliott, and Halifax, Peter J. Kelly, each traveled to the christening ceremony in Frankfurt accompanied by a delegation of 20 members. The godparents of the Airbus A340, Claude Elliott and Nancy Kelly, the wife of the Mayor of Halifax, solemnly declared: "I name you in the name of the towns of Gander and Halifax and I wish you, your passengers and your crew always happy landings." In doing so, they wet the radar nose of their "Flying Ambassador" with Sekt. The names of the two communities will be borne by a modern Airbus all over the world. The A340-300 with marking D-AIFC is 63.66 meters long, 16.91 meters high and has a wingspan of 60.30 meters. It machine can carry up to 247 passengers. The four-engined jet aircraft can fly with a maximum take-off weight of 271,000 kilograms and has a cruising speed of 870 kilometers/hour. With a maximum range of 13,000 kilometers, the aircraft will undoubtedly at some point in its life fly to the land of its godparents, to Canada. Aircraft christenings already have a long tradition at Lufthansa: in September 1960, the first long-haul jet in the Lufthansa fleet, a Boeing 707, was named after the City of Berlin. God parent was the then Mayor of Berlin, Willy Brandt. In the meantime, all Lufthansa aircraft bear the names of towns/cities or German federal states. Apart from the great sense of attachment to the residents, the "Gander and Halifax" aircraft will always enjoy a special significance for the airline: it is the first and only aircraft in the Lufthansa fleet to be named after towns outside Germany. Deutsche Lufthansa AG Corporate Communications

05-17-2002, 01:18 PM	#2
DeltaFlot The Patriot Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Laurel, MD Age: 36 Posts: 3,228	Its good to see Canada's contribution to world recognized outside of North America. I think everyone in the airline industry who was affected that day, have a deep appreciation for the outreach from the Canadian citizens and authorities. Now if we can just get the Canadian civiliztion style into the US, everything would be cool. In fact the only bone I have ever had to pick with our neighbor to the north, specifically with Calgary, I WANT MY OLD HOCKEY TEAM BACK! eh. __________________ Febuary 15, 1898 December 7, 1941 June 8, 1967 September 11, 2001 Never Forget, Never Forgive If you kick the Tiger in the arse, you better be able to deal with the Tiger's teeth.

05-19-2002, 10:35 PM	#3
Ozz Insane Collector Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Vancouver, B.C. Canada (CYVR) Age: 51 Posts: 2,763	Hey Russ, trade you for the Avalanche! __________________ Ozz ORANGE IS BEAUTIFUL *GO WESTJET!!!* We need more CPAir/CDN and don't forget PWA and BA Landor!

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