Today sees major news coming from Liverpool whose airport has so long overshadowed by its Manchester rival.
It is the first time Lufthansa has served Liverpool and flights to the Frankfurt hub will commence on May 4, 2022.
This morning, we are pleased to announce that, from 4th May 2022, Lufthansa Airlines will open a new route between Liverpool and Frankfurt, connecting passengers with 150 onward destinations across the globe. pic.twitter.com/QKG78Q58fu
— Liverpool Airport (@LPL_Airport) December 14, 2021
Lufthansa’s arrival will be a boost to the north west as Germany’s national airline can provide Liverpool with global connections both for departing and arriving travellers.
There will be four flights per week operated by a mixture of 90-seat CRJ900s and 168-seat A320s.
Schedules are as follows:
Every Wednesday and Sunday
LH968 Frankfurt depart 0725, Liverpool arrive 0805
LH969 Liverpool depart 0850, Frankfurt arrive 1130
Every Monday and Friday
LH968 Frankfurt depart 1600, Liverpool arrive 1645
LH969 Liverpool depart 1730, Frankfurt arrive 1910
Heinrich Lange, senior sales director northern Europe for the Lufthansa Group, said:
“We will be the first global network airline in Liverpool with easy reach to destinations on four continents.”
Chris Brown, director of marketing Liverpool, added:
“This new route is fantastic news for international tourists and our ambitions to connect with global markets via one of Europe’s major hubs.”
That’s the good news. I don’t wish to pour cold water on this news but…
Some years ago Netherlands’ airline KLM tried similar. Again Liverpool was excited with the news that it would be placed on the global map thanks to KLM and Amsterdam Schiphol. But it wasn’t to be.
After a short period KLM withdrew from Liverpool to concentrate its energies on its Manchester route. You see Liverpool is too close to Manchester. I mean it’s roughly the same distance as Stansted is to Central London. Manchester has better feeder links than Liverpool. It is also served more frequently by Lufthansa.
Just now I checked Lufthansa’s Manchester-Frankfurt schedules for May 2022. They show Lufthansa operating up to five flights a day between the two cities. More flights on a route mean better connections and less time wasted hanging around.
Will KLM’s experience be repeated?
