I ask because over the months and years Lufthansa has told the media on many occasions how committed it is to working with Deutsche Bahn (DB).

Indeed Lufthansa was the instigator of rail-air services decades ago with its chartered train (which even carried the Lufthansa livery) between Dusseldorf and Frankfurt.

Last March Lufthansa revealed further co-operation with DB. This would see most important cities placed on the rail-air map.

Lufthansa further expands Frankfurt rail-air links

Moreeover in April came news that Germany’s airlines wanted customers to take the train rather than the plane when travelling domestically.

Airlines must be cautious with domestic schedules. They are aware of the strength of the green lobby which wants all German domestic flights scrapped.

With this is mind I was surprised to read that Lufthansa is poised to restart a domestic route.

Aerotelegraph (German language only) reveals that Lufthansa will restart the Munster/Osnabruck-Frankfurt route from September 6. It will deploy 90-seat CRJ jets.

Initially, it is reported, there will be as many as nine flights a week. But from the end of October (the start of the winter schedule) there will be many more flights.

In November, for example, Lufthansa’s website today displays up to four flights a day.

It is clear that when all is said and done hub airlines need to make the airport journey as easy as possible. Otherwise they risk losing customers to rival hubs.

Yes, rail can provide reliable, speedy and convenient airport links. See the number of rail-air reports we have published.

But it has no advantage in the case of this route. Flying Munster-Frankfurt is a simple 50 minutes hop.

By rail it involves two or three changes en route with a journey time of almost five hours. I rest my case.

lufthansa.com, bahn.com