German airline Lufthansa has resumed service three times a week from Atlanta to its hub in Frankfurt, aiming to connect travelers to destinations in southern Europe as they open up this summer.
The flights will operate on Monday, Wednesday and Friday of each week, connecting in Frankfurt to a new array of routes selected with the needs of American leisure travelers in mind.
Lufthansa Group is operating flights from its hubs in Frankfurt and Munich to 13 destinations in Greece, for instance, a nod to the country’s recent opening to American tourists. Italy has followed, the move by seven countries in the European Union to launch a digital vaccine passport to some portends a full opening in the coming months.
In a news release, the airline said it was preparing to meet “pent-up demand” from travelers in the Americas.
“The Lufthansa Group remains committed to connecting passengers and serving as a bridge between the continents. As travel restrictions in Europe are decreasing, we are excited to resume transatlantic service for our Atlanta area customers. We continue to expand our network connections as the world gradually opens up,” said Frank Naeve, Vice President of passenger airline sales for the Americas.
Lufthansa Group subsidiaries Austrian Air and SWISS Airlines are offering an array of flights to warm-weather destinations from their hubs in Vienna and Zurich and Geneva, respectively.
The Atlanta-Frankfurt flights leave Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport at 4:10 p.m. and arrive at 7:05 a.m. the following morning. Masks are required in the airport and throughout the duration of the flights, with exceptions for those with medical conditions who test negative for COVID-19 within 48 hours of departure. While the CDC has relaxed mask guidance for indoor encounters between vaccinated people, it retained the recommendation that travelers remain masked on public transit and flights.
Airlines have been requiring masks since early in the pandemic. Lufthansa said its aircraft have installed HEPA filters leading to air quality “similar to that in an operating room” within the aircraft, where the air circulates vertically instead of within the cabin.
The airline is also allowing travelers to change their flights free of charge through July 31.
