Lufthansa Starting Nonstop Service Between Frankfurt and Austin in 2019
In the vein of keeping Austin weird, Lufthansa is adding one of the more unique routes we've seen of late: nonstop service between Frankfurt and the capital of Texas. Beginning May 3, 2019, the carrier will link the two cities for the first time, part of a much larger shift that will see five Airbus A380s transfer from Frankfurt to Munich next summer. In fact, the new flight from FRA to AUS is among the only positive news for the base, with the rest of the love seemingly directed at Munich.
Three Airbus A320 are also being moved from the Frankfurt hub to Munich to support the expansion of feeder traffic, while three smaller Bombardier CRJ900 will be transferred from Munich to Frankfurt in exchange. All of the moving and shaking is part of a corporate decision to "accelerate its growth at the Munich location and develop the Bavarian capital into a hub with a focus on Asia," which will include Lufthansa's first-ever nonstop flight between Munich to Bangkok and moving its nonstop service to Osaka from Frankfurt to Munich.
The carrier is giving its base in Munich a "5-Star" designation, which will enable "additional First Class offerings." Moreover, "the majority of the Frankfurt-based A340-600 fleet will be moved to Munich." In a release, Lufthansa asserts that it will "curb its growth at this hub [Frankfurt] in order to improve on-time ratings and operational stability."
No details are being shared just yet on what type of aircraft will service the Frankfurt to Austin route, nor details on daily timings.
Those following ongoings in Austin likely aren't shocked to hear the news. Delta announced earlier this year that it would be planting a Sky Club in AUS, British Airways flies there daily from London Heathrow and Norwegian flies there seasonally from London Gatwick.
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