Lufthansa Airlines announced yesterday it will increase its nonstop service between San Diego International Airport (SAN) and Munich, Germany via Franz Josef Strauss International Airport (MUC) by 70 percent beginning in April 2024.
Of the top 30 U.S.-Europe passenger markets, San Diego has had the strongest recovery from the pandemic. The number of San Diego–Europe passengers is now 12 percent higher than in 2019, and the additional flights to Munich will begin to address the increased demand from our region.
Lufthansa currently serves SAN-MUC three times a week. It will expand to five days per week in April 2024, and transition to daily service in June 2024.
“Munich has been one of the most popular international destinations for travelers,” said Kimberly Becker, San Diego County Regional Airport Authority President and CEO. “Seeing Lufthansa expand its service frequency to daily flights next year will provide even more opportunities for leisure and business travel and will support continued economic growth in both regions.”
The route will be served by Lufthansa’s 293-seat Airbus A350-900, known in the industry as one of the most modern and fuel-efficient long-haul aircraft in the world. Lufthansa previously offered nonstop flights to Frankfurt, Germany until service was suspended in March 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“Lufthansa Group’s mission is to connect people, cultures, and economies from around the world, in the most sustainable manner possible. We are doing just that, especially next year in 2024, with exciting expansion plans in the pipeline throughout North America, including in San Diego” said Dirk Janzen, Vice President Passenger Sales, The Americas, Lufthansa Group Airlines. “San Diego has flourished into one of our key West Coast gateways and we are thrilled to fly daily to Munich, starting in the summer season of 2024. For our customers it means additional travel opportunities, not only to Bavaria, but across Europe, Africa, the Middle East and beyond,” he added.
Munich is the third-largest city in Germany and lies along the Isar River, which runs through the middle of town. A cosmopolitan city, Munich is home to several museums, churches, art galleries, biergartens, and restaurants. Historical places of interest include the Deutsches Museum, the world’s largest museum of science and technology, BMW Welt – an exhibit dedicated to Germany’s famous BMW export, and Residenz Royal Palace, home of the royal Wittelsbach family where jewels and art are on display. The city is perhaps best known for its annual Oktoberfest celebrations, which celebrate Bavarian culture and hosts millions of visitors in the autumn season.
Munich, along with London and Paris, are the most popular European destinations from San Diego. San Diego International Airport and its partner carriers feature nonstop service to 10 international destinations including London, Munich, Tokyo, Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Montreal, Los Cabos, Puerto Vallarta and Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo.
For more information, visit lufthansa.com.
ABOUT SAN DIEGO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (SAN)
Owned and operated by San Diego County Regional Airport Authority (Airport Authority), San Diego International Airport (SAN) is one of the busiest single-runway commercial service airports in the world and the third-busiest airport in California. SAN contributes nearly $12 billion in economic activity for the region by connecting the world to San Diego and San Diego to the world. In November 2021, the Airport Authority began construction on the New T1 which includes the replacement of the current Terminal 1, improvements to the airfield, improved transportation connectivity to the airport, and a new administration building. The New T1 program’s total project budget is $3.4 billion and is estimated to create between 15,000 to 20,000 construction-related jobs. For more information about the New T1 please visit newt1.com. For more information about SAN please visit san.org.