It’s been a busy few days for Lufthansa and their fleet of 747-8i aircraft and a special thanks to the members in the Miles & More forum on FlyerTalk for some of these insights.

The latest developments:

The newest edition, D-ABYG was delivered  earlier this week and is set to take on Lufthansa’s Frankfurt-Hong Kong route starting March 31.

There has been some unconfirmed talk about the 747-8i making a cameo appearance in Miami in the coming months as Miami goes into off-peak season for Lufthansa.   The 747-8i would replace the A380 during certain parts of the schedule.   There has been no official word from Lufthansa, but my sources in the past have been nothing short of very credible when it comes to these kind of scenarios.

Lastly, it looks as though the 747-8i’s appearance in Chicago will be delayed into late summer or potentially early fall.   The issue lies with certain waivers that need to be granted by the FAA that would allow the 747-8i to operate out of Chicago.   The 747-8i would be the largest aircraft to visit Chicago and there are some issues regarding the use of taxiways between the arrival terminal (T5) and the departure terminal (T1).   When an international flight arrives in Chicago, it parks at the International Terminal (T5), and in Lufthansa’s case, their departures take place from Terminal 1 (Concourse B).   Apparently it will be a tight squeeze for a 747-8i to taxi from T5 to T1  so special provisions need to be put in place ahead of the 747-8i’s visit to the windy city.