Ohio Is About to Get Its First Nonstop Flight to Germany

Lufthansa and John Glenn Columbus International Airport announced Monday that they will launch nonstop service between Columbus and Frankfurt in May 2027. The route would be the airport’s first nonstop link to Europe and Ohio’s first nonstop to Germany. Bookings open on Tuesday, October 20, according to local coverage of the announcement. The Columbus Regional Airport Authority’s chief executive called the flight a tremendous milestone and said it establishes Ohio’s gateway to continental Europe.

The schedule is three flights a week, on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Flights leave Columbus at 4:20 p.m. and arrive in Frankfurt at 6:15 a.m. local time the next morning, a timing that suits morning onward connections across Lufthansa’s network. The airport authority says the service will carry hundreds of passengers each day it operates, though no annual or daily passenger projections were published in the reports reviewed.

Lufthansa will use a Boeing 787 Dreamliner with 287 seats, made up of 28 lie-flat business class seats, 28 premium economy seats and 231 in economy. Through Frankfurt, travelers can reach more than 130 destinations in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and India. A Lufthansa Group sales executive described the route as an important step in the company’s U.S. expansion plans, giving Central Ohio travelers a path to the wider group network without a connection in a U.S. hub.

For travelers, the practical news is that Columbus-area fliers who now connect through East Coast or Midwest hubs to reach Germany will have a direct alternative from next spring. Fares have not been published, so those hoping to travel in May or the summer should watch for the booking window opening Tuesday and compare against one-stop itineraries. Frequencies of three weekly flights also mean schedule flexibility will be limited compared with daily service.

Sources: WVXU, ABC6 On Your Side