Lufthansa crew in traditional Bavarian dress

Since 2006, a long-haul crew has swapped the usual navy blue Lufthansa uniform for dirndls and traditional Bavarian suits.

For the last three years, female flight attendants have worn the traditional blue polka-dot dirndls provided by the renowned outfitters Gwandhaus Gössl.

This year, however, the members of the special crew will be presenting themselves for the first time in tailor-made dirndls created by the well-known fashion house LODEN-FREY München am Dom.

The new dirndl reflects Lufthansa's corporate colours - navy blue and yellow. The bodice and the skirt are navy blue, while the yellow apron has a delicate pattern with white daisy chains. Male flight attendants, meanwhile, will wear traditional Bavarian suits and a tie that tones in with their colleagues' dirndls.

The Lufthansa crew dressed in national costume has proved extremely popular in China, Japan and the United States.

To date, the crew has flown to five Asian destinations (among them Beijing, Hong Kong and Tokyo) as well as to five destinations in America (including Chicago, New York and Denver) On 16. September 2009, the Munich-based crew will take off for the first time for Los Angeles. On 26 September, they will then depart for Boston, and on 2 October for Dubai.

During the Oktoberfest, "white and blue" - the traditional Bavarian colours - will also be the motto on all long-haul Lufthansa flights to and from Munich.

Passengers travelling in First Class will be served a traditional Oktoberfest menu on trays covered with blue-and-white tray cloths. In addition, a selection of typical Bavarian delicacies will accompany the meal.

Oktoberfest beer will also be on offer, served in small stoneware mugs. Bavarian specialities will also be served in Business and Economy Class. Meanwhile, on the audio channel, a special programme will play Bavarian music to get passengers into the swing of the "fifth" season of the year.

During the Oktoberfest, Lufthansa staff involved in customer services is allowed to wear their own traditional Bavarian dress to work. Furthermore, in cooperation with the traditional outfitters Trachtenhaus Jäger in Miesbach and Reiter Corporate Fashion, tailor-made dirndls in a blue-and-white design and traditional men's suits have been specially provided.

Lufthansa staff members first exchanged their uniforms for traditional costumes more than 50 years ago. In 1957, the airline reported:

"During the Oktoberfest, Lufthansa stewardesses dressed in dirndls will be attending to passengers' needs on flights from New York to Hamburg between 17 September and 2 October, and on flights from London to Munich between 21 September and 5 October."

On those routes, blond flight attendants wore pale-blue dirndls, while their dark-haired colleagues were dressed in pink.