The Lufthansa Group will expand its flight network for summer 2027, with Porto and Funchal among the destinations set to benefit from additional services operated by Brussels Airlines.
The airline group has unveiled what it describes as its most extensive network expansion since 2020, introducing new long-haul routes, adding European destinations and increasing frequencies on existing services.
As Publituris reports, the plans cover the group’s airlines, including Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, ITA Airways, Edelweiss and Discover Airlines, with particular emphasis on North and South America, new connections to Asia, and increased capacity on popular holiday routes.
Frequency network
Brussels Airlines will increase flights to Porto and Funchal, although the group has yet to specify the exact frequency changes for either Portuguese destination.
The Belgian carrier will also introduce Cairo as a new destination, with five weekly flights between Brussels and the Egyptian capital.
Furthermore, services to Kilimanjaro in Tanzania will rise to three per week, while Evenes in Norway will join its European network for summer 2027.
Across the group’s network, several new intercontinental connections are planned, including Edmonton in Canada, Columbus and Phoenix in the United States, and Caracas in Venezuela.
Direct connections
Lufthansa is set to introduce a direct service between Frankfurt and Columbus on 5 May 2027, operating three times a week with Boeing 787-9 aircraft featuring its Allegris cabin.
The airline will also launch daily flights from Frankfurt to Tokyo Narita from 28 March, complementing its existing services to Tokyo Haneda from Frankfurt and Munich.
On 29 March, seasonal flights will resume to Nagoya in Japan, operating three times a week.
In the United States, Lufthansa will add a Munich to Phoenix route from 3 August 2027, with three weekly flights operated by Airbus A350 900 aircraft.
The airline will also increase frequencies on selected routes, including services to Cape Town, Rio de Janeiro, Hyderabad, Chennai and Montreal.
Meanwhile, its Frankfurt to Kuala Lumpur service, due to launch in October 2026, will continue into the summer season with daily flights.
The European network will also expand, with Dubrovnik in Croatia returning as a daily destination from Frankfurt.
From Munich, Lufthansa is set to introduce a second seasonal connection to Delhi from 28 March 2027, alongside additional services to Bangalore, Chicago, São Paulo and Singapore.
Increased capacity
SWISS will maintain its new long-haul service to Bengaluru in India, with five flights a week, while increasing capacity on its Tokyo Narita route during the summer season.
It will also introduce twice-weekly flights between Zurich and Toulouse, France, from 25 June to 23 August 2027.
Additionally, it plans to increase frequency to destinations including Budapest, Hamburg, Paris, Nice, Bremen and Niš.
Austrian Airlines is set to extend its services to Mauritius and Malé in the Maldives into April 2027, beyond the usual winter schedule.
Tokyo Narita and Shanghai return to its summer programme, with daily flights to Tokyo and five weekly flights to Shanghai between May and October 2027, while Bangkok will continue to receive daily flights throughout the season.
The carrier’s transatlantic programme will include New York, Washington, Boston, Chicago and Montreal, with Los Angeles returning from late April 2027, as most of these routes will operate between five and seven times a week.
Austrian Airlines is set to introduce a seasonal Vienna-Beirut service between June and September, while maintaining a diverse selection of holiday destinations in Greece, Spain, Italy and France.
Long-haul services
Italy’s ITA Airways will launch direct flights between Rome Fiumicino and Caracas on 30 March 2027, operating three times a week.
A new domestic service between Rome and Verona will follow from 28 March 2027.
Moreover, other airlines in the group will also increase long-haul capacity.
Edelweiss will begin its seasonal Windhoek flights earlier, on 16 March 2027, before increasing the route to three weekly services from July.
Flights serving Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar will rise to four per week, while Punta Cana, Malé and Tampa Bay will receive additional frequencies.
Discover Airlines is set to launch direct flights between Frankfurt and Edmonton on 1 June 2027, with three weekly services, as the Canadian city becomes the leisure carrier’s third destination in the country, joining Calgary and Halifax.
The airline will also station a third Airbus A330-300 in Munich, enabling it to increase services from the German city to Windhoek to five departures a week.
However, the group has not yet announced Eurowings' summer 2025 schedule, with details expected later.