Wednesday, June 1, for the first time in over 20 years, Lufthansa is bringing direct access to Europe from the “Gateway of the West” – St. Louis, MO. As the travel industry continues to recover from the recent pandemic, the addition of a completely new destination for Lufthansa – the first since 2019 – is a welcome addition and exciting prospect.
"We are thrilled to connect this vibrant city and the entire state of Missouri with Lufthansa Group's main hub in Frankfurt, offering a direct link for St. Louis residents to Europe's leading financial and cultural centers. From Frankfurt we offer 300 destinations in over 100 countries with seamless connections and unrivaled quality and service," said Frank Naeve, Vice President of Sales, Lufthansa Group Passenger Airlines for The Americas. "The United States remains our most important market outside of the Group's home markets, and we could not be happier to add more opportunities and capacity into and out of the U.S.," he added.
Flight LH448 departed Frankfurt Airport at 10:45 a.m. local time and touched down to a water cannon welcome at St. Louis Lambert International Airport at 2:05 p.m. local time. Mayor Tishaura Jones, along with various civic leaders, were also on-hand to greet the Lufthansa aircraft coming from Germany. Eastbound flight LH449 departs St. Louis at 3:45 p.m. local time and will land at 7:45 a.m. the following day in Frankfurt. Among the passengers on the sold-out flight to Frankfurt is a trade delegation of nearly 30 local leaders focused on attracting new business to St. Louis.
The new St. Louis service will operate three times weekly on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, with an Airbus A330-300 in a three-class configuration. The aircraft includes 42 Business Class, 28 Premium Economy and 185 Economy Class seats to accommodate a total of 255 passengers.
Vast worldwide network
With the launch of St. Louis service, the Lufthansa Group carriers will operate to 25 gateways in the USA, offering some 360 weekly flights, during the current summer schedule. With easy worldwide connectivity as a main priority for customers, especially throughout Europe, the Middle East, Africa and India, the Lufthansa Group is well equipped to respond to this need. St. Louis customers will benefit from the direct link to Lufthansa Group’s Frankfurt hub, as well as a vast, worldwide network, including connections through Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, Eurowings Discover and SWISS, as well as code share flights with United Airlines and Air Canada, as a result of the Atlantic Joint Venture.
Frankfurt, Germany’s most international city, offers a rich culture and history, with a population of about 5.6 million. The Frankfurt Rhine-Main metropolitan region is one of Europe’s leading economic centers and a popular travel destination. It is home to a wide range of tourist attractions and sights, including world-class ballet, opera, theaters and art exhibitions. As Germany’s fifth largest city, it is the nation’s financial powerhouse—home to the German Central Bank and the European Central bank, which manages the euro. It is also the gateway to Germany’s robust hi-tech scene.
