Last Wednesday (June 1) Lufthansa began an unprecedented non-stop service between Frankfurt (FRA) and St. Louis (STL) with three weekly flights, which becomes the company’s 20th destination in the United States and reconnects Missouri with Continental Europe after almost 20 years.
Flight LH 448 took off from Main Airport (FRA) at 11:15 local time and landed at Lambert International Airport (STL) at 14:15. Lufthansa will operate from Terminal 2 at St. Louis (STL).
«Re-entering the European market with non-stop service is a big step forward for St. Louis. This continues the momentum we have been building in our metropolitan area by increasing our global connectivity and strengthening opportunities for our businesses and residents,» said Andrew C. Taylor, chief executive officer of Enterprise Holdings and founding chairman of Greater St. Louis, Inc.
Flight Itinerary
- Frankfurt – St. Louis Flight LH448 FRA 10:45 – STL 13:45 Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.
- St. Louis – Frankfurt Flight LH449 STL 15:45 – FRA 07:45+1 Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.
Flights will be operated on Airbus A330-300 aircraft with a capacity of 255 passengers in three classes (42 Business Class/ 28 Premium Economy/ 185 Economy). Promotional fares start at USD 778 roundtrip.
St. Louis was the top U.S. market without transatlantic flights, the last operations to Continental Europe were in October 2001 by Trans World Airlines TWA with non-stop service to Paris – Charles de Gaulle (CDG), previously Lambert International Airport also had flights to London Gatwick by American Airlines (censored in 2003) and to Reykjavik (KEF) by the defunct WOW Air (ended in 2019).
«We are delighted to connect this vibrant city and the entire state of Missouri with Lufthansa Group’s main hub in Frankfurt, providing a direct link for St. Louis residents to Europe’s major financial and cultural centers. From Frankfurt we offer 300 destinations in more than 100 countries with seamless connections and unmatched quality and service,» said Frank Naeve, Lufthansa Group Passenger Airlines vice president of sales for the Americas.
By this 2022 northern summer season, between all Lufthansa Group subsidiaries they will offer up to 25 destinations in the United States, making them the second European airline group to operate the most cities in the US.
See also: Lufthansa Group acquires additional Boeing 787 and Boeing 777 freighters
Increased international and domestic traffic in St. Louis
With the start of flights to Germany, they follow in the footsteps of increased international flights in Missouri, recently Air Canada also resumed flights between Toronto (YYZ) and St. Louis (STL) with two daily flights.
«With the addition of Spirt Airlines and rapid growth in connecting traffic on Southwest Airlines, we believe our recovery from the pandemic is quite solid,» said Rhonda Hamm-Niebruegge, director of St. Louis Lambert International Airport.
Enhancing St. Louis’ global economic connectivity.
This new nonstop flight is expected to have a significant impact on the regional economy and enhance St. Louis’ ability to compete in global markets. This new Lufthansa service is estimated to potentially bring between $50 – $100 million per year to the region’s economy.
«With the launch of direct flights to Europe and the strong support of the St. Louis County Port Authority and the regional business community, we now have global connectivity between these ingredients for success,» said Rodney Crim, CEO and president of the St. Louis Economic Development Partnership.
St. Louis companies and organizations that committed funds to enhance the region’s global economic competitiveness and help secure flights include: Centene, Emerson, Enterprise Holdings, Inc, Greater St. Louis, Inc, Hermann Companies, Hunter Engineering, Nestlé Purina PetCare, St. Louis County Port Authority, St. Louis Lambert International Airport and the William T. Kemper Foundation.
