German national carrier Lufthansa is to inaugurate a new weekly link between Dusseldorf and Cardiff in spring 2013, increasing its non-stop links from the German city to the UK to nine destinations. The new weekly rotation will operate using a Bombardier CRJ900 from May 4, 2013 until October 5, 2013.
The Star Alliance member currently offers flights from Dusseldorf to Birmingham, Edinburgh, London Heathrow, Manchester and Newcastle, with summer seasonal flights to Inverness, Jersey and Newquay. airberlin, British Airways, easyJet, Flybe and Jet2.com also serve Dusseldorf from the UK, but there is currently no links directly from Cardiff. In fact this will be the Welsh capital’s first direct link to Germany since bmibaby flew a winter service to Munich in 2010/2011.
Despite this, Wales is already a favourite destination for Germans and the flights will enable direct access to Cardiff from the largest populated region in Europe, while passengers from the UK will be able to connect with the Lufthansa network available at Dusseldorf, a limited opportunity for a weekly service but something that is sure to support the O&D demand on the route.
“The Düsseldorf region is one of the wealthiest in Europe and this new service will further open up Wales as a tourist destination to more than 20 million Germans living within an hour of the airport. The route will also provide travellers from Wales with a direct link to the Lufthansa network worldwide,” said Wales’ First Minister, Carwyn Jones.
Meanwhile, a Cardiff Airport Taskforce is continuing to work to explore how the Welsh Government and the business community can support the owners of Cardiff Airport to improve the competitive position of the Airport. “The development of new routes like this is key to attracting new passengers through Cardiff and assisting the Airport to realise its potential as a modern, well-connected, successful business at the heart of Wales' national infrastructure,” added the Honourable Minister.
Speaking at the confirmation of the new route Steve Hodgetts, Commercial Director at Cardiff Airport, highlighted the importance of securing key brands like Lufthansa, so soon after Spain’s Vueling announced its own expansion from Cardiff for summer 2013.
“This is great news that another prestigious airline company has recognised the tourism potential on offer in Wales and is prepared to work with Cardiff Airport in bringing real economic benefit to Wales,” he said. “We want to see this grow and be the catalyst for bringing even more tourists direct to Wales.”
According to Lufthansa the new air service is as a direct response to passenger demand. “It offers people living in Wales the chance to take advantage of Lufthansa’s reputation for punctuality and efficiency from their local airport,” explained Christian Schindler, General Manager UK and Ireland, Lufthansa.
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