First-Ever Nonstop Service on Lufthansa to Frankfurt from Silicon Valley’s Airport

Five Weekly Flights on the Airbus A340-300 to Begin April 29, 2016.

San José Mayor Sam Liccardo today announced new nonstop service on Lufthansa German Airlines between Frankfurt Rhine-Main International Airport (FRA) and Mineta San José International Airport (SJC), marking the first European carrier to offer nonstop flights from Silicon Valley to Germany, Europe and beyond. Joining the news conference at San José City Hall was Lufthansa’s Regional Sales Manager for Northern California and the Pacific Northwest Alexandra Landers who also announced the service will begin April 29, 2016, and tickets can be purchased at LH.com.

Lufthansa will offer five weekly flights on the Frankfurt-Silicon Valley route, operating the Airbus A340-300. The aircraft can seat up to 298 passengers, and travelers have three seating classes to choose from – Business Class, Premium Economy and Economy.

“It’s an exciting time at Lufthansa as San Jose is one of several new, important destinations that we plan to add to our network in the coming months. Furthermore, we will be the first European airline to offer direct flights from San Jose to Germany, Europe and beyond, which emphasizes the importance of this region to our airline,” said Juergen Siebenrock, Vice President The Americas at Lufthansa German Airlines. “Passengers from the Silicon Valley area will now be able to experience the quality service and premium products that Lufthansa has always been known to offer, including our brand new Premium Economy Class that offers extra space for comfort and relaxation, as well as an elevated experience.”

“Mineta San José International Airport continues to be the airport of choice for global technology companies located throughout the Silicon Valley, and adding nonstop service between Frankfurt and San José has been a top priority for the business community for many years,” said Mayor Sam Liccardo. “Lufthansa’s decision to launch service out of San José will be well received by both business and leisure travelers. The San José City Council and I thank Lufthansa for its significant investment in San José, and look forward to helping make the route an unqualified success.”

Lufthansa’s new SJC-FRA flight will operate as follows:

Connections through Frankfurt are possible on Lufthansa’s extensive network within Germany, to 96 European cities, and to many destinations in Asia, Africa and Africa. The airline is part of the Star Alliance, the largest airline alliance in the world with 28 airlines, and serving 1,330 destinations in 192 countries with 4,657 aircraft and over 18,500 daily flights.

Frankfurt has been identified as a priority travel route for the greater San José region that has significant business and personal links to Germany, Europe and beyond. Silicon Valley companies have 324 locations throughout Germany. Nearly all major car manufacturers have R&D facilities in Silicon Valley, among them being BMW, Mercedes Benz and Volkswagen. Nonstop service to and through Frankfurt offers the opportunity to enhance business and improve travel efficiency.

“The addition of Frankfurt service to Mineta San Jose International Airport’s growing list of international destinations is welcome news for Silicon Valley travelers,” said Kim Becker, Director of Aviation. “Lufthansa’s premium non-stop service from San Jose to Germany, Europe, Asia, India and Africa brings the world to our doorstep through Silicon Valley’s airport which offers easy access, on-time flights and technologically advanced facilities and customer services.”

SJC recently completed renovations to two boarding gates, doubling the airport’s international gate capacity and improving passenger handling flexibility. Arriving international passengers receive expedited processing and reduced wait times with automated Global Entry kiosks in SJC’s International Arrivals facility. Among the airport’s 50 concessions, a duty free store located next to the international gates opened in August offering an enhanced shopping experience for all travelers.

Frankfurt service is the fifth nonstop market for SJC announced in 2015. British Airways will begin service to London-Heathrow on May 4, 2016. Hainan Airlines launched service to Beijing, China, in June. Southwest Airlines launched a daily flight to Dallas (Love Field) in April, and will double this service beginning Nov. 1, 2015. Alaska Airlines will add nonstop service to Eugene, Oregon, on Nov. 5, 2015.

Other nonstop international service offered at SJC includes: ANA’s daily flight to Tokyo-Narita on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner; daily flights to Guadalajara on Alaska Airlines and Volaris; and Alaska’s five weekly flights to Cabo San Lucas.

About Lufthansa
One of the world’s largest and most prestigious airlines, Lufthansa, serving 20 North American gateways, currently flies to 258 destinations in 80 countries. The air carrier offers hubs in Frankfurt and Munich. With the Lufthansa Group acquisition of Austrian Airlines, SWISS and a stake in Brussels Airlines, additional hubs include Vienna, Brussels, and Zurich. The entire Group flew a total of 106 million passengers in 2014. Lufthansa, along with its Group members and Star Alliance partners, serves over 1,300 destinations worldwide. An industry innovator, Lufthansa has long been committed to environmental care and sustainability, operating one of the most technologically-advanced and fuel-efficient fleet in the world. Its long-haul fleet to and from North America includes the Boeing 747-8 and the Airbus A380 – the industries’ two most environmentally-friendly passenger aircraft. Lufthansa is the largest European operator of the A380 and was also the launch customer for the new Boeing 747-8. By 2025, Lufthansa will receive 272 new aircraft worth about €38 billion in list prices on order. Known for its premium services, Lufthansa continues to build new or upgrade existing lounge facilities across its worldwide network and will spend over €3 billion in new products and services by 2016. In 2014, Lufthansa introduced its new Premium Economy Class which offers further comfort and more personal space. By the end of 2015, Lufthansa’s entire long-haul fleet will feature all new onboard products in each class – bringing Lufthansa one step closer to becoming the first five-star airline in the Western Hemisphere. Additionally, nearly the entire Lufthansa long-haul fleet is equipped with its onboard broadband wireless Internet service, FlyNet. For more information or reservations, visit LH.com.

About Mineta San José International Airport
Mineta San José International Airport (SJC) is Silicon Valley’s airport, a self-supporting enterprise owned and operated by the City of San José. SJC served 9.6 million passengers in Fiscal Year 2015, a 5.4 percent increase year-over-year. With the launch of British Airways service to London Heathrow in May 2016, SJC will offer approximately 142 peak daily flights on 12 domestic and international carriers to 33 nonstop destinations. SJC’s five-star customer service experience sets it apart from other Bay Area and US airports. Airlines and passengers respond positively to SJC’s customer amenities, including modern terminal buildings, free and fast WiFi, comfortable seating with built-in power outlets, a luxurious, award-winning lounge open to all travelers, a duty free store offering the ultimate experience in luxury shopping, a rental car center conveniently located across from the terminals and Global Entry kiosks to expedite arriving international passengers. Silicon Valley’s airport is located in San José, California’s third largest city and the nation’s tenth largest city. SJC facts can be found here. For more airport information, visit www.flysanjose.com.