Columbus is getting its first nonstop flight to Europe. The Columbus Regional Airport Authority, Lufthansa Airlines, JobsOhio and One Columbus announced on Monday, October 19, that Lufthansa will launch nonstop service between John Glenn Columbus International Airport and Frankfurt Airport in Germany in May 2027, giving Central Ohio a direct link to one of the world’s leading international hubs.
The route is scheduled to begin May 5, 2027, and to operate three times a week, according to Columbus Navigator’s reporting on the announcement. Lufthansa will fly the service with a Boeing 787 Dreamliner in its Allegris cabin configuration, with 28 lie-flat business class seats, 28 premium economy seats and 231 economy seats, for a total of 287 seats. The airport authority says it will be Ohio’s first and only nonstop flight to Germany.
A nonstop connection to Europe has been a long-standing goal for the airport and for state and local leaders. Until now, Central Ohio travelers heading to continental Europe have had to connect through another hub or drive to another city to catch a transatlantic flight. The airport authority said the new service will serve the hundreds of passengers who already travel from Columbus and across Ohio to Europe each day.
“Today’s announcement is a tremendous milestone for the Columbus Region and Ohio,” said Daren Griffin, president and CEO of the Columbus Regional Airport Authority. He said Lufthansa’s service gives passengers a direct link to one of the world’s strongest global networks, and he credited Lufthansa, JobsOhio, One Columbus and the business community for helping make the route possible.
For businesses, the Frankfurt connection opens one-stop access through Lufthansa’s hub to destinations across Europe and beyond, without a domestic connection first. Airport and economic development officials framed the route as a competitiveness win for the region, strengthening Ohio’s ties to the global economy and making Central Ohio easier to reach for international visitors as well as easier to leave for residents traveling abroad.
The announcement comes during a period of expansion at John Glenn Columbus. The airport already offers more than 55 nonstop destinations on 11 airlines, and new service to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic and to Puerto Rico was announced earlier this year for early 2027. A new terminal is also expected to open in 2029, part of what Griffin described as a time of extraordinary transformation for the region’s airports.
Travelers will have to wait a little longer to book their seats. Additional details on schedules and booking are expected as the May 2027 launch approaches. When the first Dreamliner departs, Columbus will for the first time have what airport leaders have sought for years: a nonstop gateway of its own to continental Europe.
Photo: MarcelX42, CC BY-SA 4.0