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Lufthansa's birds of passage

Hardy GraupnerDecember 8, 2014

Lufthansa has offered a glimpse into its latest offering for wealthy, bird-loving clientele - an in-flight resting platform for falcons. It will allow passengers to fly right next to their precious, feathery companions.

https://p.dw.com/p/1E0p2
Falconry in Dubai
Image: Picture-Alliance/KEYSTONE

It's called the "Falcon Master," and it's changing the way people - and birds - fly.

On Monday, the German carrier Lufthansa's technology division announced that it had devised a contraption to transport falcons in the passenger deck of commercial jets. It is a resting platform for falcons that Lufthansa's engineers claim can be installed on folded-down seats.

The construction of the platform would be such that surrounding walls, seats and carpets would not be harmed by whatever the birds would think of doing during flights. Plus, Lufthansa said, a lot of Airbus and Boeing aircraft would already qualify for the transport of falcons.

The airline pointed out that falconry is an extremely popular activity in some countries, predominantly in the Gulf. Lufthansa's "Falcon Master" platform would enable a small, but no doubt affluent group of clients to take their birds on board and not lose sight of them during flights.

Last call for Lufthansa

And once the flight is over, the "Falcon Master" can be quickly disassembled and stowed away in lightweight containers.