Lufthansa City Airlines opens new base in Frankfurt

Lufthansa City Airlines, the newest airline with the Lufthansa Group, has started flight operations from Frankfurt Airport, commencing on Feb. 9, 2026.

Another milestone for the Lufthansa Group

On Feb. 9, Lufthansa City Airlines officially commenced flight operations from Frankfurt Airport, Lufthansa Group’s largest and main hub. The first flight departed from Frankfurt, Germany at 4:11 p.m. (UTC+1) and arrived in Manchester, England, at 4:55 p.m. (UTC+0) and was operated by an Airbus A320neo.

Following the success the airline made after its launch services from Munich in 2024, the opening of the new base in Frankfurt marks another milestone in the expansion of the Group’s newest airline.

Peter Albers, Chief Operating Officer of Lufthansa City Airlines, emphasises:

“With our new base and the targeted expansion of our short-haul network, we are simultaneously strengthening our market position and laying the foundation for further growth within the Group.”

The airline is set to expand services from Frankfurt to Berlin and Valencia, the Spanish port city, later in February. Flights to Düsseldorf and Málaga will follow in March with a second aircraft assigned to the base.

From summer 2026, the network from Frankfurt will gradually expand to include further destinations, including London Heathrow, Stockholm, Bilbao, Hamburg, Helsinki, Ibiza, Marseille and Bucharest.

Fleet growth and staffing expansion

By September this year, Lufthansa City Airlines’ local Frankfurt fleet will grow to seven Airbus A320neo aircraft. The airline already operates 13 aircraft at its main hub in Munich. In 2025, the airline operated nearly 16,000 flights carrying around 2 million passengers to 27 destinations.

Moreover, Lufthansa City Airlines continues its focus on growth and recruitment of staff. Around 60 employees have already been hired in Frankfurt, and Lufthansa City Airlines expects to hire a further 80 cockpit crew and 200 cabin crew members in the coming months. The airline currently employs around 450 people.

Furthermore, since September 2025, Lufthansa City Airlines has been a permanent member of the Star Alliance, an airline alliance headquartered in Frankfurt, providing access to a global network and additional benefits for passengers.

The opening of the Frankfurt base adds short-haul capacity for the Lufthansa Group’s largest hub and supports the airline’s effort to reorganise its European network around a growing narrowbody fleet.

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