As a national partner, Lufthansa will contribute financially towards the application phase until 2011 and also provide transport and communication services.

They join an impressive line-up of blue-chip companies who are sponsoring Munich's bid.

Already signed up are Adidas, BMW and Deloitte.

Three Lufthansa aircraft bearing the names "München", "Bayern" and "Garmisch-Partenkirche"’ will carry the Munich 2018 logo around the world.

Munich is bidding against Annecy and Pyeongchang with the International Olympic Committee due to announce a decision on July 6, 2011, at its Session in Durban.

Lufthansa Supervisory Board chairman Jürgen Weber said: "We are delighted to be working on a project of this nature alongside other big names in German industry - particularly companies from this part of Germany.

"Thanks also to Munich Airport, Munich and Upper Bavaria are ideally equipped to host the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

"Lufthansa - with strong support from Bavaria, the city of Munich and the region - has developed the airport into one of the leading air traffic hubs in Europe".

Willy Bogner, the chief executive of Munich 2018, said: "As an international brand, Lufthansa can bring fresh impetus to the bid and carry our vision, of staging a friendly winter Games, across the world."

Christian Ude,the  Mayor of the Bavarian capital, Munich, said:  "With its international connections, Lufthansa contributes a great deal towards making Germany an open and cosmopolitan society - and the winter Games will further bolster the country's image. Lufthansa can raise Germany's profile on literally every continent in the world and thereby strengthen our bid."

The deal extends Germany's flagship carrier close partnership with sport. 

They are already backers of the German Olympic Sports Federation (DSOB) and the German Sports Association for the Disabled.

The company is also a national promoter of the German Sports Aid Foundation and is a longstanding partner of the German Football Association (DVB) and FC Bayern Munich.

Thomas Bach, President of the DSOB and chairman of the Shareholders' Association of the Munich 2018 Bid Committee, welcomed the deal.

He said: "Lufthansa already has close ties with the world of sport in Germany and their association with the Munich 2018 bid will help the whole sports family towards celebrating a Games of the highest standard."


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