March 03 2016, 12.13 PM IST || Pocket News Alert
India’s Yashas Dassani, a spontaneous eight-year-old boy from Mumbai has outclassed 14 shortlisted children from several other countries to win Lufthansa’s global ‘Your Announcement Contest’. This first–of-its kind global competition by Lufthansa Passenger Airlines gives Yashas a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to step into the shoes of the airline’s cabin crew and make a live onboard announcement on the way to Frankfurt in the presence of all passengers. Yashas has also won flight tickets to a European Lufthansa destination of his choice for himself and two accompanying adults.
“Children are fascinated by flying, and to them, the opportunity to make a live in-flight announcement is probably the next best thing to flying an airplane! Congratulations to Yashas on winning this contest and realizing his dream,” said Wolfgang Will, Director, South Asia, Lufthansa Passenger Airlines. “Children are an important customer group and we’re delighted to offer a contest that stimulates their creativity. The overwhelming response from India reaffirms how close this country is to our heart and how the Lufthansa brand is ‘More Indian than you think’.”
As a part of an ongoing effort to engage with young passengers, Lufthansa launched an exciting online competition ‘Your Announcement Contest’ in early 2016 for children who enjoy flying. With 250-plus registrations from children aged between six to ten years, from nine countries across the world, the contest drew an enthusiastic response with 22,000 visits till date. A jury comprising of Lufthansa experts shortlisted the 15 of the most imaginative onboard announcements from the videos received. The winning clip was determined through an online public poll.
The winning video features Yashas welcoming passengers on board Lufthansa Flight 007 with a hearty Namaste! An avid tennis and football buff, Yashas is a student at Mumbai’s G.D. Somani Memorial School. He has nurtured the desire to fly Lufthansa since his first visit to the airport at age three, and this desire coupled with his creativity led to his participation in the contest.
