Lufthansa Group has released its summer 2027 flight schedule, with ten new intercontinental connections planned across its airlines. The expansion will see Lufthansa introduce new services from Frankfurt and Munich, while Discover Airlines and ITA Airways add routes of their own.
It is the group’s largest network expansion since 2020, with the new programme covering several of its main hubs across Europe. Flights are now available for booking, although some services will only begin operating in the middle of next year.
Lufthansa Targets United States and Japan
The United States features prominently in the expansion, with two new routes planned from Germany.
From 5 May 2027, Lufthansa will begin flying three times a week between Frankfurt and Columbus, Ohio. The service will operate on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, using the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner fitted with the airline’s Allegris cabin.
Columbus is the state capital of Ohio and an important business centre. The new service will provide its airport with a nonstop connection to Europe, opening up onward connections through Frankfurt to destinations across Lufthansa’s international network.
The airline’s second new US route will connect Munich with Phoenix, Arizona, from 3 August 2027. Flights will operate three times weekly, on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays, using the Airbus A350-900.
Phoenix has grown into a significant centre for business and technology, but the city has not previously had a direct connection to a Lufthansa Group hub. The route will add another option for passengers travelling between Arizona and Europe, without requiring a connection at another airport first.
Japan is another major focus for the summer schedule.
Lufthansa will introduce daily flights between Frankfurt and Tokyo-Narita from 28 March 2027, operated by the Boeing 787-9. The service will complement the airline’s existing flights to Tokyo-Haneda from Frankfurt and Munich, giving the carrier a daily service to both Tokyo airports from its Frankfurt hub.
The Frankfurt-Nagoya route will also return on a seasonal basis from 29 March, with flights on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. Nagoya is one of Japan’s major industrial centres, making the connection relevant to both business travellers and tourists.
Discover Airlines Heads to Edmonton
Lufthansa Group’s expansion is not limited to its namesake airline.
Discover Airlines will launch flights between Frankfurt and Edmonton, Canada, on 1 June 2027. The route will operate three times a week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, making Edmonton the airline’s third Canadian destination after Calgary and Halifax.
Edmonton, the capital of Alberta, is an important gateway to western Canada. The new service will give passengers a direct connection to Germany and access to onward destinations through Frankfurt.
The addition also strengthens Discover Airlines’ long-haul network, which is focused largely on leisure travel. The airline will further increase its operations from Munich by basing a third Airbus A330-300 at the airport, supporting additional flights to Windhoek, Namibia.
ITA Airways adds a South American Connection
ITA Airways will introduce a new route between Rome Fiumicino and Caracas, Venezuela, from 30 March 2027.
The Italian carrier plans to operate the service three times a week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, using the Airbus A330-900. The route will add another direct connection between Europe and Venezuela, while expanding ITA Airways’ long-haul offering from Rome.
The airline will also introduce a domestic service between Rome and Verona from 28 March 2027.
Elsewhere within the group, Brussels Airlines will launch flights to Cairo, Egypt, five times a week, while Austrian Airlines plans a seasonal Vienna-Beirut service between June and September 2027. SWISS, meanwhile, will retain its five-times-weekly service to Bengaluru, India, through the summer season.
More Flights to Cape Town and Other Desirable
Alongside the new routes, Lufthansa Group is increasing frequencies on a number of existing services.
Cape Town is among the destinations set to receive additional flights from Frankfurt, alongside Rio de Janeiro, Hyderabad, Chennai and Montreal. The precise frequency changes have not been detailed for every route, but the increases form part of the group’s summer capacity plans.
Lufthansa’s Frankfurt-Kuala Lumpur service, due to launch in October 2026, will also continue into the summer 2027 season, increasing to daily flights.
The group is expanding its European network as well. Lufthansa will resume flights between Frankfurt and Dubrovnik, Croatia, with daily services operated by aircraft from the Airbus A320 family. SWISS will introduce seasonal flights between Zurich and Toulouse from 25 June to 23 August 2027, operating twice a week.
Edelweiss is also increasing services to several leisure destinations, including Windhoek, Zanzibar, Punta Cana, Malé and Tampa Bay.
A Larger Sunmer Schedule
Lufthansa Group’s summer 2027 programme combines new destinations, resumed services and additional capacity on established routes. The changes span its full-service airlines and leisure-focused operations, with each carrier adding flights to its own network.
The new services will be introduced in stages from March through August 2027.
Eurowings has yet to publish its summer schedule, meaning further additions to the group’s network may still follow.
The new Columbus and Phoenix routes will expand Lufthansa’s US network, while additional services to Japan will strengthen its connections to the Asian market. Discover Airlines will add Edmonton to its Canadian network, and ITA Airways will restore a direct connection between Rome and Caracas.
Cape Town is also among the destinations set to receive additional flights from Frankfurt. The increase will provide more seats on an established route as Lufthansa Group prepares for the northern hemisphere’s summer travel season.
