Lufthansa has confirmed the launch details for its new Lufthansa City subsidiary, with the first flight taking place between Munich and Birmingham on 26 June.
Tickets are now on sale for initial routes from Munich to Berlin, Hamburg, Bremen, Dusseldorf, Cologne, Hanover, Birmingham, Manchester and Bordeaux.
Business Traveller first reported on the new subsidiary – which will operate under the airline code ‘VL’ – in early 2022, and Lufthansa said that the carrier was “fully integrated into the feeder network of the Lufthansa hubs in Frankfurt and Munich”.
Lufthansa City Airlines will initially operate with a small fleet of A319 aircraft transferred from Lufthansa Group carrier Eurowings, but the group has ambitious plans for the subsidiary, with 40 Airbus A220s on order, and a further 20 options.
Flights will operate in a two-class economy and business class configuration, with the latter offering the same benefits as business class on Lufthansa’s mainline short-haul routes, including lounge access and the adjacent seat being kept free.
Economy fares range from hand luggage only Economy Light, up to Economy Flex where tickets can be rebooked (or refunded for a fee).
Commenting on the news Jens Fehlinger, Lufthansa City Airlines managing director operations, said:
“Lufthansa City Airlines is contributing to the future viability of the hubs in Munich and Frankfurt.
“We are looking forward to new modern Airbus A220 and A320neo deliveries in the coming years. For our guests and employees, we are driving forward our renewal and thus strengthening Lufthansa’s planned growth in long-haul traffic.”
