Lufthansa’s inaugural flights between Liverpool and Frankfurt took place this week, providing global connections for passengers at John Lennon Airport for the first time in a decade.
The German airline now operates four flights a week from Liverpool to Frankfurt, from where passengers can connect to services to hundreds of destinations across the globe. It marks a significant development for the airport, which is known for its offer of short-haul routes into Europe, mainly provided by budget airlines.
The introduction of Lufthansa and the global connectivity that it offers is a considerable part of the airport's future plans, according to CEO John Irving. The ECHO spoke to Mr Irving at Lufthansa’s inaugural arrival into Liverpool from Frankfurt on Wednesday (May 4), which was marked by fire engines performing a ‘baptism’ of the plane.
READ MORE: Liverpool John Lennon Airport's journey from WWII airbase to international terminal
Mr Irving said: "It’s (announcing Lufthansa) certainly been part of our long-term ambition for the airport and to bring different options for passengers to choose from. That’s our job really - to put on airlines and routes that people want to see from their local airport - and Lufthansa is a huge global brand, so to bring them onto our network is a huge moment for us and our future.
"We’ve always had great connections for short-haul leisure and we’ll continue to do that and bring more and more of that in. But we have been missing more of that connecting traffic for a long time now.
"To have Lufthansa join us and PLAY in October, which can connect to the US market, is something that we’ve been looking for. It’s about finding the right partner and finding the right routes for us and for passengers."
Icelandic budget airline PLAY will commence services from Liverpool later this year, offering twice-weekly flights to Reykjavik. Once they have arrived in the Icelandic capital, passengers can then connect to US cities including New York, Boston and Orlando.
The addition of PLAY and Lufthansa allows Liverpool Airport to advertise one-stop flights to the United States, as well as other far-flung destinations such as Australia and Singapore. Mr Irving sees the addition of new routes, particularly those which offer journeys beyond Europe as a key part of the airport's recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.
Travel restrictions meant that aviation was among the hardest-hit industries during the pandemic, but April saw Liverpool Airport used by a number of passengers which was approaching pre-pandemic numbers. Mr Irving said that last month saw passenger numbers return to "75% of normal".
Mr Irving said: "It’s certainly part of our long-term game plan to bring more of this stuff through and Lufthansa bringing in more and more flights as well."
"Our plan for this year is to start to recover and be consistent and see people coming in. Having a brand like Lufthansa join us is not only a great symbol but it’s a great statement for this airport and the City Region to have their badge sitting firmly alongside our other partners", Mr Irving continued.
Figures from Liverpool's economic and political spheres also believe Lufthansa's arrival reflects Liverpool's status as a 'global city' and will prove beneficial for the local economy. Liverpool is Lufthansa's 11th destination in Great Britain and it plans to bring more than 700 weekly connections to the country next year.
The ECHO understands that figures at the airport hope this will see Lufthansa increasing its number of weekly flights in and out of Liverpool.
Back in December 2021, when Lufthansa announced Liverpool Airport as a destination, Paul Cherpeau CEO of Liverpool Chamber of Commerce commented, “Liverpool Chamber and it’s members will be delighted by the news of Lufthansa’s decision to add LJLA to its global network. Liverpool’s status as a global city is reflected positively in this announcement which will provide a boost to our connectivity to additional markets for business and leisure activities, enhancing our ability to expand our export and inward investment opportunities whilst catalysing the rebuilding and growth of our Airport.
"The attraction of such a famous and reputable carrier such as Lufthansa is a testament to the existing quality and further potential in the Liverpool City Region economy and we look forward to a successful partnership in the years ahead.”
Additionally, Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region said in December, “Our area is an international destination of choice renowned for our unique blend of sport, culture, music and heritage. Today’s announcement is fantastic news that will give us much better connections to Europe and beyond, whether for tourism or business.
Mr Rotheram continued: "We’re looking forward to welcoming Lufthansa for the first time next year – along with the many, many visitors they’ll be taking to and from our region. I’m sure that once people have visited us, they’ll be back time and time again.”
