Columbus, Ohio, gets its first-ever nonstop flight to Europe — Lufthansa launches May 2027

Columbus, Ohio, is finally getting a bridge to Europe. Lufthansa will launch the city's first-ever nonstop transatlantic flight on May 5, 2027, connecting John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH) directly to Frankfurt (FRA).

The new route will run three times a week — Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays — aboard a Boeing 787-9 configured with 28 Allegris business class suites, 28 premium economy seats and 197 in economy. Bookings are set to open Oct. 20, 2026.

For travelers, the payoff goes well beyond Germany. Frankfurt is Lufthansa's largest hub, handing Columbus passengers one-stop connections to hundreds of cities across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia without the usual trek through Chicago or an East Coast gateway.

"The new service will provide both business and leisure travelers with a convenient nonstop connection to Germany, as well as onward destinations across our Lufthansa Group network," said Dirk Janzen, vice president of passenger sales for the Americas at the Lufthansa Group. "The launch of this route is an important step in our continued expansion in the United States."

A first for a city that never had it

What's striking is that Columbus has never boasted a direct Europe link — even when the airport served as a hub for America West Airlines, which never flew across the Atlantic before its 2005 merger with US Airways. Meanwhile, Ohio neighbors Cincinnati and Cleveland each logged transatlantic service as former Delta and Continental hubs, respectively.

The new flight is part of a wider push into the middle of the U.S. Austin, Nashville and St. Louis are also adding European connections next summer on Delta, Air France and Icelandair. The Columbus route is sweetened by revenue guarantees from JobsOhio, the state's economic-development agency.

Miles collectors take note: flights can be earned and redeemed through both Lufthansa's Miles & More and partner United's MileagePlus program.