Summary
- Lufthansa has launched a new nonstop service between Raleigh-Durham and Frankfurt to expand its US market presence.
- The Airbus A330-300 will operate five times a week, offering seats for 255 passengers in business, premium economy, and economy classes.
- The new route is part of Lufthansa’s larger US expansion strategy, and the group airlines now have 26 gateways in the country and around 400 weekly flights.
Lufthansa continues to make inroads into the United States and has started another new service, this time between Frankfurt and Raleigh–Durham. The carrier has launched some new routes in the US in recent days as it looks to grab a greater share of the lucrative market there.
Lufthansa starts Frankfurt-Raleigh–Durham service
On June 6, Lufthansa launched a nonstop service between Raleigh–Durham (RDU) and Frankfurt (FRA). This was the first time that the carrier has connected North Carolina with its Frankfurt hub, also making it the first-ever nonstop connection from Raleigh-Durham International airport to Germany.
Lufthansa already flies to Charlotte from Munich, and the latest service will give more options to passengers from the state to travel to Germany and to Europe and beyond on Lufthansa’s wider network. Dirk Janzen, Vice President Passenger Airlines Sales, The Americas, Lufthansa Group, commented,
“Lufthansa is thrilled to bring Raleigh-Durham International Airport its first-ever nonstop connection to Frankfurt, and Germany as a whole. This new route will provide travelers throughout North Carolina with seamless access to Lufthansa Group’s worldwide network, opening up a world of possibilities for business and leisure travel, and helping to further the Group’s goal of connecting people, cultures, and economies.”
Photo: Kevin Hackert | Shutterstock
According to Michael Landguth, president and CEO of the Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority, the launch of the RDU-FRA service was “10 years in the making,” with early conversations with Lufthansa dating back to 2014. This service is expected to have an economic impact of approximately $3.3 billion in North Carolina over the next 25 years.
Schedule and equipment
Lufthansa’s new Raleigh-Durham service will operate five times a week on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday with an Airbus A330-300. The aircraft offers a three-class configuration, accommodating 255 passengers – 42 in business class, 28 in premium economy, and 185 in economy. Flights will have the following schedule:
Route |
Flight number |
Flight days |
Departure – Arrival (local times) |
---|---|---|---|
Raleigh-Durham – Frankfurt |
LH409 |
5x weekly (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday) |
3:40 pm – 6:05 am (+ 1 day) |
Frankfurt – Raleigh-Durham |
LH408 |
5x weekly (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday) |
10:20 am – 1:50 pm |
Eyeing the US
The Lufthansa Group has 26 gateways in the United States, and the carrier and its group subsidiaries now operate around 400 weekly flights to the country. The nonstop service between Raleigh–Durham and Frankfurt is part of the carrier’s recent larger US expansion.
Related
Lufthansa Touches Down In Minneapolis–St. Paul For The 1st Time With Service From Frankfurt
The five-time weekly service will be year-round.
A few days ago, Lufthansa began its first-ever flight to Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport (MSP), connecting it with its primary hub in Frankfurt. The five-times-a-week service will operate year-round and began just in time for the busy summer season.
Photo: Raleigh-Durham International Airport
Lufthansa also recently launched a nonstop flight between Munich and Seattle and increased capacity to Washington D.C. with an A380 from Munich. The carrier also serves St. Louis, Missouri, with an A330 aircraft, a service that started in 2022 and caters to a strong demand from passengers in the city.
What do you think about Lufthansa’s US operations? Are you booked on any Lufthansa flights out of the US in the coming months? Please leave a comment below.