German airline Lufthansa was the most reliable carrier at Heathrow Airport last year, according to new statistics.

Figures published by the Civil Aviation Authority and analysed by Flightontime.info show that the airline saw average delays of 12.22 minutes in 2007, over seven minutes less than the airport's average delay.

Marianne Sammann, UK and Ireland general manager at Lufthansa, said the statistics help to strengthen the carrier's reputation and suggest a reason for its "exceptional" growth in passengers.

She commented: "2007 was another record breaking year for Lufthansa as we set a new airline record for passengers carried to and from the UK and Ireland for the second successive year."

The airline recently opened a brand new terminal area in Frankfurt offering improved passenger facilities and the ability to board the Airbus A380 - which is set to become Lufthansa's flagship aircraft - at both levels directly from the gate.

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