German airline group Lufthansa has launched a new route from Bristol Airport to Frankfurt.
The airport said the service demonstrated Lufthansa's commitment to the 海角视频 market and would provide “increased connectivity” to long-haul destinations such as Tokyo, Cape Town and Singapore.
It also said the route would support the development of tourism and business links between both markets, and create employment opportunities.
“The route provides business travellers with increased opportunity to trade in one of the world’s leading financial centres and opens the door for multiple onward connections for leisure travellers,” a Bristol Airport spokesperson said.
The carrier will be operating up to four weekly flights to Frankfurt in August, increasing to seven a week in September.
海角视频 business membership organisation CBI welcomed the announcement - and said the route would deliver “fresh opportunities” for firms across the region.
Ben Rhodes, CBI South West director, said: “Enhanced international connectivity can open the doors to new trading relationships for South West firms, and prove a key tool for businesses looking to rebuild in the wake of the pandemic.”
Kathryn Davis, director of tourism for Visit West, said the route from Bristol would provide “vital connections” for future visitors to the region.
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"Germany is one of our most important visitor markets, so this connectivity is a critical part in supporting the return of the international leisure visitors when appropriate and to enable families and friends to reconnect, as well as supporting business passengers," she said.
The news follows a tough 12 months for Lufthansa. The German group plummeted to an operating loss of €5.5bn (£4.6bn) in the last financial year - compared to a €2bn profit in 2019.
The group, which includes Swiss and Eurowings, said in March it would not return to pre-pandemic levels of traffic until at least 2025.
Heinrich Lange, who recently took over as the Lufthansa Group senior director sales for Northern Europe, said the new Bristol route would connect passengers in the South West with the group's "vast" global network.
“As one of the largest carriers in Europe, with just a short stopover in Frankfurt, our customers will have access to hundreds of connections to numerous destinations," he said.
"We look forward to connecting our passengers in South West England with our main Lufthansa hub in Germany."
Dave Lees, chief executive of Bristol Airport, hinted the airport could announce more Lufthansa routes in the future.
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“Lufthansa is a major global airline and this decision shows confidence in air travel returning to normal,” he added.
“The service is a strong indication of the confidence in the region. We see great potential for this service and will work with Lufthansa on other exciting route opportunities in the future.“
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