A direct flight to Germany will return to Northern Ireland next year after the nation’s flag carrier Lufthansa announced a new service to Frankfurt from Belfast City Airport.
The move – which will see four weekly flights between the two destinations – is the airline’s first venture in the province and will represent the only direct air link to Germany from the Belfast airport. Previously, Ryanair had operated direct services to Germany from Belfast International Airport, prior to which Air Berlin had run a service between the two destinations.
The first Lifthansa flight will take off on 23 rd April 2023 and run on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday on an Embraer aircraft offering both business and economy services.
Dr Frank Wagner, General Manager Sales, UK, Ireland and Iceland for Lufthansa Group, welcomed the new route.
“This new nonstop connection will bring Northern Ireland much closer to Frankfurt and to the heart of Western Europe,” he said. “Connecting passengers will enjoy a convenient and full service connection beyond our hub to our vast network of over 200 destinations in summer 2023.”
The new connection will provide a boost to Northern Ireland’s economy, Mel Chittock, Invest NI’s interim CEO, said. He said the agency is recruiting to help exporters boost trade between the two regions.
“Germany is a powerhouse of the European economy and one which offers tremendous potential for our local businesses to export to as well as being a major source of internationally mobile investment,” he said. “Its key sectors are well aligned with Northern Ireland’s strengths, particularly in Advanced Manufacturing, Life and Health Sciences, Food and Drink, and Financial Services. In fact, we are currently strengthening our European team to support exporters expand into Germany, Austria and Switzerland and to promote the Northern Ireland investment proposition in the region, with recruitment for a number of key roles currently under way.”
Niall Gibbons, Chief Executive of Tourism Ireland, said he expected the new flight to boost the flow of inbound tourists and said he would continue to push for new direct flight connections with Europe and beyond. In 2019, Northern Ireland recorded nearly 65,000 German visitors which are estimated to have provided a £14 million boost for the local economy.
““Today’s announcement by Lufthansa is really good news for tourism to Northern Ireland in 2023,” he said. “As an island destination, we know there’s a proven correlation between access and growth in visitor numbers, so this new flight will certainly help boost tourism business from Germany.
“Tourism Ireland is committed to working with Lufthansa, Belfast City Airport and our other key partners, to drive demand for this new flight, and all other services to Northern Ireland, and help maintain our vital network of routes and services.”
